WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 90% of Americans think it’s important to have a strong, sustainable Medicaid program. That’s according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Modern Medicaid Alliance, a coalition of leading advocacy organizations representing patients, health care workers, children, older adults, people with disabilities, pregnant and postpartum women, and health insurance providers.
The poll surveyed a national sample of approximately 10,000 registered voters. Key findings include:
- The vast majority of voters – 88% – think it is important or very important to have a strong, sustainable Medicaid program in the United States.
- Three-quarters of voters (76%) have a favorable view of Medicaid. In fact, voters are nearly 5 times more likely to have a favorable view of Medicaid than an unfavorable view.
- When asked what the most important priority of Medicaid should be, voters said affordability (26%) and access (19%).
- Two-thirds of voters (67%) oppose cutting funding for Medicaid, including 48% who strongly oppose cuts. Less than a quarter support cutting funding for Medicaid.
These and other findings, including in-depth, state-by-state enrollment data and polling, can be accessed via the newly updated Modern Medicaid Alliance Medicaid Dashboard.
The Medicaid Dashboard is an essential resource for federal and state leaders looking for up-to-date information on how many people are covered in a state and how each state’s Medicaid program is structured. In addition to providing the latest, most comprehensive Medicaid enrollment research and polling, the Dashboard also provides state-specific reports for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
This year the Dashboard also showcases newly added Puerto Rico enrollment data. Medicaid serves a vital role providing high-quality health coverage to Puerto Ricans, with more than one-third of Puerto Rico residents enrolled Medicaid managed care coverage.
Further, the updated Medicaid Dashboard now includes updated data demonstrating how Medicaid reinforced its role as a critical safety net amid the COVID-19 public health crisis. In fact, from December 2019 to April 2022, Medicaid enrollment increased by approximately 25%. Due to Congressional and Administrative action at the outset of the pandemic, Medicaid coverage has been accessible for the 1 in 4 Americans who needed it most as the country coped with COVID-19.
“From the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid and Medicaid managed care have played an even more critical role in delivering high-quality, affordable health care coverage and peace of mind to tens of millions of Americans who need it most,” said Matt Eyles, President and CEO of AHIP, a founding member of the Modern Medicaid Alliance. “This new data further underscores the need to protect Medicaid funding and ensure a smooth process to redetermine eligibility for the 1 in 4 Americans who rely on Medicaid as an essential safety net today.”
Medicaid is the largest health care program in the country. Along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the program serves more than 86 million Americans, with over 71 million of those enrollees covered through Medicaid managed care.
The full Medicaid Dashboard can be found here.
Visit the Dashboard polling infographic here.
For more on Medicaid redetermination, visit the Modern Medicaid Alliance explainer here.
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About the Modern Medicaid Alliance: The Modern Medicaid Alliance is a partnership between Americans who value Medicaid and leading advocacy organizations. Our mission is to educate policymakers and the public about the benefits of Medicaid to the American people in terms of cost savings, health outcomes and social impact, and to highlight how Medicaid is innovating in the delivery of care — especially for America’s most vulnerable citizens — and accountability of the program.
For Modern Medicaid Alliance news and updates, visit ModernMedicaid.org and Data.ModernMedicaid.org, and follow us on Twitter @modernmedicaid or facebook.com/ModernMedicaid.