Medicaid plays a vital role in supporting veterans and military-connected families nationwide. While many receive care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or TRICARE, Medicaid helps fill gaps, covering essential services like mental health care, long-term services and supports (LTSS) and providing coverage for those who may not qualify for other programs.
For millions of veterans and their loved ones, Medicaid is a key part of their health and financial stability, and proposed cuts to the program could threaten that foundation.
Medicaid Fills Care Gaps for Veterans and Military Families
According to estimates from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nearly 1 in 10 non-elderly veterans — about 800,000 people — are enrolled in Medicaid.
However, Medicaid’s reach goes far beyond individual military veterans. Approximately three million infants, children and adolescents in military-connected families are covered by or are eligible for Medicaid. The unique demands of military life also take a toll on veterans’ families, reinforcing the importance of stable Medicaid coverage.
Many veterans and their families fall outside the VA system due to eligibility restrictions, geographic barriers or other administrative challenges. Medicaid helps close these gaps by covering a wide range of services, including:
- Mental and behavioral health care.
- Treatment for substance use disorders.
- Preventive care and chronic disease management.
- LTSS, such as home- and community-based services (HCBS).
- Health coverage for military spouses and children.
For many military families with lower incomes, Medicaid can be the difference between having access to timely, essential care or going without it.
The Threat of Medicaid Cuts
Proposals in Congress to cap or cut federal Medicaid funding, shift costs to states or create administrative barriers that could reduce coverage and limit access to care would disproportionately impact veterans, many of whom live with complex health challenges like chronic conditions, mental health disorders and disabilities.
Medicaid cuts could restrict veterans’ access to mental health services, long-term care and other supports they depend on most. It is essential that Congress support the health and well-being of America’s service men and women by strengthening the Medicaid program, rather than putting the health care of hundreds of thousands of veterans, service members and their families at risk.
Protecting Medicaid Means Protecting Veterans
Veterans deserve strong, stable health care coverage. For millions of veterans and their families, that means Medicaid.
As Congress considers changes to the Medicaid program, policymakers must understand what’s at stake. The Modern Medicaid Alliance urges lawmakers to protect the program for everyone who relies on it, including veterans, children, people with disabilities and hardworking families across the country.
For more information on Medicaid’s vital role, visit https://modernmedicaid.org.