Fifty Years of Medicaid

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. in 1999 represents a critical milestone in the development of Medicaid home and community-based services. In that landmark case, Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, who had mental illness and developmental disabilities, were voluntarily...

Katie Beckett, born in 1978, was 5 months old when she contracted viral encephalitis, a condition that left her ventilator-dependent for 12 hours a day. After her parents’ health insurance was depleted, Medicaid covered the cost of her care, but only in the hospital. Although her...

Medicaid encourages and supports the employment of people with disabilities. Work promotes independent living, better mental health and overall well-being. Through the optional Medicaid Buy-In program, created under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (P.L.

More than 10 million children and adults with disabilities rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. This population comprises about 15% of all Medicaid beneficiaries. Their disabilities may include physical impairments and injuries, intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental and...