Medicaid Reform Policy Brief

January 12, 2012

  http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=60

Medicaid is the nation's largest public health insurance program for low-income Americans, and is financed jointly by the federal and state governments. The majority of Medicaid spending goes to the elderly and disabled, and the weak economy has boosted enrollment among low-income families with children. In addition to providing health insurance coverage to nearly 20 percent of the US population, Medicaid accounts for about one-sixth of total spending on personal health care and covers 40 percent of births.