Week One of Medicaid Awareness Month Focuses on the Importance of Medicaid to Older Adults As Republicans Pursue Draconian Cuts
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, including 7.2 million seniors. It provides essential coverage for expenses like long-term care, medical equipment, hospitalization, and prescription drugs. As the single largest payer to long-term care services in the country, middle-class families depend on Medicaid to help take care of their loved ones. Six in 10 nursing home residents count on Medicaid for the long-term care they need – that’s 5.6 million older Americans.
But Trump and Republicans in Congress are determined to gut Medicaid in order to give billionaires another tax cut, even if it means dismantling the health care American families rely on. The GOP budget paves the way for slashing $880 billion from Medicaid, putting the health care of tens of millions of Americans at risk. For seniors, who often live on fixed incomes and face high medical expenses, losing their health care coverage would be catastrophic. 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, or putting food on the table. Without Medicaid, millions may be forced to leave a job to provide full-time care for an aging parent who can no longer afford their nursing home. 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
- Millions of Seniors & Older Americans Rely On Medicaid Coverage. 7.2 million Americans over 65 are enrolled in Medicaid and more than 11 million Americans ages 50 to 64 have health coverage through Medicaid – many thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion.
- 6 to 8 Million Older Adults Live Below The Federal Poverty Level. For millions of seniors and older Americans on fixed incomes, Medicaid is a lifeline.
- Medicaid Is the Single Largest Payer To Long-Term Care Services Nationwide. As seniors age, long-term care services become more essential. Medicaid serves about 70 percent of seniors who will need some form of long-term care in their lives.
- 2.7 Million People Would Gain Coverage If Remaining States Expanded Medicaid. This includes 1.4 million people who are in the Medicaid coverage gap and an additional 1.3 million uninsured people with incomes between 100 and 138 percent of the federal poverty line who are eligible, but not enrolled in Marketplace plans. 17 percent, approximately 238,000, of the uninsured in the coverage gap are people aged 55-64 who face increased health care needs.
- Medicaid Pays For 62 Percent Of Long-Term Care Residents In Nursing Homes. Medicaid covers nursing home bills for over 60 percent of residents in nursing homes. In 2019, this totaled over $50 billion. The median private nursing home room cost over $100,000 yearly in 2025.
- 12 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Also Have Medicaid Coverage. Nearly 8 million of the dual eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries are “full benefit” Medicaid enrollees who have access to a range of Medicaid benefits, not otherwise covered by Medicare.
Seniors And Older Adults Depend On Medicaid For Affordable, Comprehensive Care. As of 2023, approximately 2.98 million older adults are uninsured. Older Americans often have more complex health issues, requiring additional medical attention that is costly, pushing care out of reach. For seniors on Medicare, Medicaid helps fill many of the gaps in Medicare coverage, such as transportation to medical appointments and medical equipment.
Middle Class Families Rely on Medicaid for Peace of Mind and Financial Security. Millions of middle class families across the country depend on Medicaid, whether it’s for an aging parent, a disabled child needing special care, or a child who can’t be covered under their parent’s health plans but doesn’t make enough yet to afford insurance on their own. Studies show increased Medicaid access leads to middle class families having an increased amount of money in their savings and retirement accounts and are significantly more likely to never miss a mortgage payment. Without Medicaid, middle class families would be more likely to drain their savings, lose their homes, and not save for retirement.
Medicaid Supplements Medicare Coverage For Millions Of Seniors. 12 million seniors are eligible Medicare-Medicaid dual beneficiaries. Nearly 8 million are “full benefit” Medicaid enrollees who have access to a range of Medicaid benefits, not otherwise covered by Medicare. Nearly half of dual enrollees are seniors of color and over half of dual enrollees suffer from long-term disabilities.
Medicaid Helps Seniors And Older Americans Stay Retired And Out Of Poverty. Many seniors and older Americans survive on low incomes or have chronic health conditions that prohibit them from working. Medicaid allows individuals living on fixed incomes or who have chronic health problems to continue getting the care they need by filling the gaps in their Medicare coverage without having to worry about choosing between food and housing or their health. Medicaid has long been considered one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the nation, and its expansion has significantly improved health outcomes for seniors and older adults. In a nation where 4 in 10 adults report having medical debt, Medicaid serves as a lifeline not only for health care, but for economic stability as Americans age. A January 2021 study from Health Affairs found that the ACA helped reduce income inequality across the board, but much more dramatically in Medicaid expansion states.
Low-Income Seniors With Medicare Depend On Medicaid For Long-Term Care. It is estimated that 70 percent of seniors will need long-term care at some point and 62 percent of nursing facility residents utilize Medicaid to receive their care. Medicaid is a critical provider of home- and community-based care that are essential to keep loved ones at home with their families and neighbors. Without Medicaid, many seniors would not be able to afford these needed services with Medicare alone. 80 percent of individuals in nursing facilities covered by Medicaid were dually eligible, with Medicaid covering costs once Medicare benefits have been depleted.
Hundreds of Thousands of Seniors Are Stuck In The Medicaid Coverage Gap. 10 states have refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), stranding many seniors with low incomes in the Medicaid coverage gap. As a result, over 407,000 older Americans 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 seniors from at least 25 percent of those in the Medicaid coverage gap in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.