This April marks the eighth annual Medicaid Awareness Month. Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in the country, providing health care for over 70 million Americans. It is a crucial source of quality and affordable care for people with disabilities, including kids, students, and many of the 1 in 4 Americans with some type of disability. Medicaid pays for over half of all long-term care in the United States, which includes essential home- and community-based services for people with disabilities. In 2010, the ACA opened the door for states to expand Medicaid, and the results are clear: Medicaid expansion works. In addition to providing coverage for about 24 million people, expansion has resulted in healthier people, communities, and economies. Study after study shows that Medicaid expansion increases access to care, improves financial security, and leads to better health outcomes for people with disabilities. Protecting access to Medicaid is essential for ensuring that people with disabilities get the care they need.
Despite providing critical services for millions of Americans, Trump and Republicans in Congress are targeting Medicaid for almost a trillion dollars in cuts in order to give billionaires and big corporations another tax cut, even if it means dismantling the health care American families rely on. The consequences of such severe cuts to Medicaid would touch nearly every household in America. Families would be forced to choose between seeing a doctor, filling a prescription, and putting food on the table. Recent polling found there is broad opposition across party lines to any cuts to Medicaid, with 67 percent saying Congress should increase spending on Medicaid or keep it about the same.
During Medicaid Awareness Month, Protect Our Care is continuing its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign with theme weeks to underscore the importance of Medicaid across the country. Alongside partners, lawmakers, and other advocates, Protect Our Care is working to defend Medicaid from the Republican-led plan to slash funding to pay for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.
By The Numbers
- Over 1 in 5 Medicaid Enrollees Have A Disability. Over 1 in 5 of Medicaid enrollees report having a disability, and 13 percent of all Medicaid enrollees are people with disabilities.
- Up To 1 In 4 U.S. Adults Have A Disability. Over 70 million American adults have some type of disability. Medicaid covers 41 percent of nonelderly adults with disabilities, including adults with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and mental illnesses.
- 15 Million Non-Elderly Adults Are Enrolled in Medicaid Due To At Least One Disability. 15 million people under age 65 enrolled in Medicaid qualified as a result of a disability determination. Other individuals with disabilities may qualify for Medicaid due to age, pregnancy, or income.
- Medicaid Covers More Than Half Of All Long-Term Care. The Medicaid program provides more than half of all long-term care in the United States, which includes essential home- and community-based services for people with disabilities. 61 percent of our nation’s spending on long term care is paid for by Medicaid.
- 1 in 4 Americans With Disabilities Face Cost Barriers to Access Care. 1 in 4 adults with disabilities has had an unmet health care need in the past year due to high costs.
People With Disabilities Rely On Medicaid Expansion For Coverage. Two-thirds of people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid do not receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), meaning that they qualify for Medicaid on another basis (such as income, or as parents in non-expansion states). Medicaid expansion funding is a significant source of health care coverage for these adults, providing critical access to care for serious health conditions.
Medicaid Expansion Helps Adults With Disabilities Gain Access To Affordable Care Without Having To Wait. Medicaid expansion helps adults with disabilities gain quicker access to coverage without waiting for a disability determination, which can take years. Thanks to the ACA, Medicaid expansion has allowed people to gain coverage who previously were not eligible for coverage and otherwise would have been uninsured.
Medicaid Expansion Has Improved Health Care Services For People With Disabilities. According to a 2022 study, Medicaid expansion often improves the care people with disabilities receive. Having Medicaid coverage for a full year has been associated with increased primary care visits, increased vaccinations, and decreases in out-of-pocket spending. People with disabilities see these improvements at higher rates than those without a disability.
Medicaid Expansion Reduces Out-of-Pocket Health Care Spending, Which Is Especially Important For People With Disabilities Who Often Have Limited Incomes. 1 in 4 working-age adults with a disability has income that is below the federal poverty line (FPL) ($14,880 for an individual, and $23,280 for a family of three on average in 2022). In 2022, CMS adopted rules to lower maximum out-of-pocket costs by $400.
Medicaid Is One Of The Most Effective Anti-Poverty Programs, Particularly For People With Disabilities. Medicaid reduces poverty by limiting out-of-pocket spending and expanding state-level Medicaid programs. The average out-of-pocket spending decreased in states that expanded Medicaid. The poverty-reducing effects were greatest for adults with disabilities, seniors, children, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Medicaid Expansion Has Increased Employment For People With Disabilities. According to a 2021 study, individuals with disabilities living in Medicaid expansion states are more likely to be employed than those living in states that have not expanded the program. In expansion states, people with disabilities have seen increased health coverage and employment rates compared to non-expansion states. Medicaid also provides services that assist people with medical needs in finding employment.
Hundreds of Thousands of Americans With Disabilities Are Stuck Without Coverage In States That Have Refused to Expand Medicaid. 10 states have refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA, stranding many low-income adults in the Medicaid coverage gap. As a result, over 265,000 Americans with disabilities with incomes below the federal poverty level are ineligible for Medicaid or ACA marketplace assistance in these states. Over half of these individuals reside in Texas or Florida, and adults with disabilities form at least 20 percent of those in the Medicaid coverage gap in Alabama, South Carolina, Kansas, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Medicaid Helps People With Disabilities Access Comprehensive, Consistent Long-Term Care. People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid comprise 95 percent of the fees for service of long-term care services, while making up less than 25 percent of the people who are enrolled in the program.
Medicaid Is Critical For Children With Disabilities. Medicaid provides critical funding for schools to get equipment, services, and personnel that students with Individualized Education Plans require to succeed, from speech therapy to personal aides to the technology that helps blind and deaf students communicate. Medicaid funding ensures schools can provide the wide range of services needed to educate students with disabilities and allows them to comply with Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements despite their strained budgets. Families with children with disabilities are also more likely to fall into financial hardship, and Medicaid provides a safety net through its cost-sharing protections to help children with disabilities get the care they need without putting additional stress on their family to pay for their doctor visits, medication, or therapy.