Cutting Medicaid Findings

Key Findings

Additional Resources
State fact sheets on the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement

More than a quarter of all seniors and people with disabilities depend on Medicaid

Among seniors, 15.4 percent depend on Medicaid. The share is even higher for people with disabilities: 44.6 percent depend on Medicaid.
In seven states and the District of Columbia, more than one out of five seniors rely on Medicaid. Those states are Maine (27.8%), Mississippi (25.5%), California (23.6%), Vermont (22.9%), New York (21.8%), the District of Columbia (21.4%), Louisiana (20.8%), and Wisconsin (20.7%).
In 10 states and the District of Columbia, more than half of all the people with disabilities rely on Medicaid. Those states are the District of Columbia (76.4%), Mississippi (60.0%), Pennsylvania (58.8%), West Virginia (57.4%), Rhode Island (57.3%), New York (56.9%), Tennessee (56.1%), Louisiana (54.4%), Maine (51.8%), California (50.6%), and Kentucky (50.5%).

More than 16 million seniors and people with disabilities depend on Medicaid

Nationally, nearly 6.3 million seniors and more than 9.8 million people with disabilities depend on Medicaid.
The five states with the largest number of seniors enrolled in Medicaid are California (1,008,400), New York (588,300), Texas (454,100), Florida (422,900), and Pennsylvania (247,000).
The five states with the largest number of people with disabilities enrolled in Medicaid are California (1,077,400), New York (709,800), Texas (598,500), Pennsylvania (570,600), and Florida (524,500).

Medicaid is a critical source of coverage for people who need nursing home care

Medicaid is the primary payer for an estimated 63.6 percent of all nursing home residents. In all states but one, Medicaid is the primary payer for more than 50 percent of nursing home residents.
In seven states and the District of Columbia, Medicaid is the primary payer for more than 70 percent of all nursing home residents. Those states are the District of Columbia (80.1%), Mississippi (74.7%), Alaska (73.8%), Louisiana (73.0%), New York (72.3%), West Virginia (72.2%), Georgia (71.9%), and Hawaii (70.1%).

Medicaid services help seniors and people with disabilities remain living in the community

Nearly 3 million seniors and people with disabilities (2.8 million) receive Medicaid services that allow them to remain living in their home or in the community and to avoid costly nursing home care.
The top five states in the number of people receiving home- and community-based services through Medicaid are California (516,300), New York (277,300), Texas (254,200), Illinois (173,400), and North Carolina (115,100).