Fifty Years of Medicaid

Many preventable chronic diseases and other health problems are associated with obesity, making the increased prevalence of obesity in the U.S. a serious public health challenge. Medicaid and CHIP programs help address this challenge by providing access to screenings and interventions to reduce...

Medicaid plays a key role in the prevention of disease by facilitating access to vaccines. All Medicaid-eligible children under the age of 21 are entitled to receive all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP). In response to a measles epidemic in...

Cigarette smoking is one of the greatest drivers of adverse health outcomes and costs for state Medicaid programs. By investing in comprehensive tobacco cessation programs, states have successfully reduced smoking rates and health care costs, and have improved health outcomes. Tobacco treatment is...

Preventing disease before it starts is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives. Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) promote prevention by helping millions of beneficiaries gain access to preventive health care services. Preventive health care services...

While many lawfully present immigrants may be eligible for health coverage under Medicaid or CHIP, they may find the rules difficult to understand or the enrollment process challenging to complete. Community-based application assistance delivered by people who are members of the community, or who...

Non-citizens are less likely to have health insurance than U.S. citizens. Many who work in low-wage jobs are not offered employer-based health insurance – and, although they may be income-eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, certain eligibility and coverage restrictions may limit access to full...

Did you know that the Social Security Amendments of 1965, the legislation that created Medicaid and Medicare, was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 30, 1965 in Independence, Missouri? Independence was President Harry Truman’s home town. 

Tribal Health Centers in states that have expanded Medicaid to more low-income adults are seeing important changes for the communities they serve, including more people insured and improved access to care. Here’s what one leader had to say:

Angie Wilson, Director

Reno Sparks Indian Colony Tribal Health Center, Reno Nevada

The health insurance status for children in the U.S. has improved significantly, with the rate of uninsured children reaching a record low of 7 percent in 2013. However, American Indian and Alaska Native children remain uninsured at disproportionately high rates. Tribes and tribal health programs...

The population of American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the United States totals 5.2 million according to the Census Bureau. About 1 in 5 American Indians and Alaska Natives have health coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, and many more are eligible for coverage as a result of the Affordable...