Medicaid 101
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This Health Policy 101 chapter explores Medicaid, the primary U.S. program providing comprehensive coverage of health care and long-term services and supports to nearly 90 million low-income people. Originating in 1965 and expanding with the Affordable Care Act, the chapter reviews Medicaid’s evolution and its joint federal and state financing and administration. It discusses how state-level flexibility in managing Medicaid leads to variation in coverage, spending, health care delivery, and access across different states.