Tracking Medicaid Enrollment Across the U.S.

Medicaid is an important source of health insurance for millions of low-income families and children, people with disabilities, individuals with chronic health conditions, and those who need long-term services and support.¹ Studies have shown that Medicaid coverage, particularly continuous coverage, improves health outcomes for children and those who are uninsured or low-income.^2,3 Medicaid has been shown to provide beneficiaries with substantially better access to health services compared to not having insurance.⁴  Additionally, Medicaid coverage can provide additional support and connections to health-related social needs that are critical to improving health outcomes and wellbeing such as affordable housing and nutrition assistance.⁵   

Following the end of the continuous enrollment provision on April 1, 2023, many states reinstated disenrollment procedures, largely reversing the increase in coverage that took place during the initial years of the COVID pandemic. With the passing of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, experts project that a new era of health uninsurance will begin, disrupting coverage for millions of Americans. A number of the new policies are slated to begin next year, in some cases following the midterm elections.^6,7,8,9

The Dashboard Measures Congressional District-Level Medicaid Enrollment - (%) of Total Population 

The Congressional District Health Dashboard calculates Medicaid Enrollment as the percentage of individuals enrolled in Medicaid in the past quarter. The Medicaid Enrollment metric is calculated using data from the American Community Survey and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is available for every congressional district and state. The Dashboard has previously shared quarterly Medicaid Enrollment data from the last quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2024, and we are excited to announce the addition of three new quarters of data to the metric. The third and fourth quarters of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 are now available for every congressional district and state.

To develop these new data, the Dashboard analyzed congressional district-level Medicaid Enrollment rates across the U.S. According to the most recent Dashboard data, the average percent of the U.S. population enrolled in Medicaid at the congressional district level is 22%, with the lowest district-level percent of population enrolled at 6.2% and the highest at 60%. Given that more than one in five Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, the program represents one of our nation’s most essential healthcare resources.

Timely Medicaid Data 

With anticipated cuts to Medicaid, timely Medicaid data are essential to know what enrollment looks like in your district and state. These data provide a clear picture of Medicaid Enrollment across the country, serving as an important benchmark for measuring the impact of changes ahead and making it easier to track shifts in enrollment at the district, state, and national level. The Dashboard is committed to continuing to provide accurate, timely data on Medicaid Enrollment at the district, state, and national level as more recent data become available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To learn more about how Medicaid Enrollment is calculated, see our Metric Background page. 

Explore the latest Medicaid Enrollment data across all 435 congressional districts, 50 states, and D.C. using our Metric Maps feature to understand who Medicaid serves in your community.

Connect With Us

We are hosting our next Virtual Office Hours on Thursday, September 18^th at 12pm EST, where we will be walking through the Medicaid updates. Register here.

References 

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.) Medicaid. Medicaid.gov https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid

2. Buettgens, M. (2023, September 26). Ensuring Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP: Coverage and Cost Impacts for Adults. Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/sep/ensuring-continuous-eligibility-medicaid-impacts-adults

3. Brantley, E. & Ku, L. (2021, September 16). Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid Associated With Improved Child Health Outcomes. Medical Care Research and Review. 2021;79(3):404-413. doi:10.1177/10775587211021172 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10775587211021172

4. Brooks, T. & Gardner, A. (2021, July). Continuous Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP. Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CE-program-snapshot.pdf

5. Orris, A., Bailey, A., & Sullivan, J. (2024, February 27). States Can Use Medicaid to Help Address Health-Related Social Needs. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/states-can-use-medicaid-to-help-address-health-related-social-needs

6. Ives-Rublee, M. & Musheno, K. (2025, July 3). The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-truth-about-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-acts-cuts-to-medicaid-and-medicare/

7. Swagel, P. (2025, June 24). Information Concerning Medicaid-Related Provisions in Title IV of H.R. 1. Congressional Budget Office.  https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-06/Arrington-Guthrie-Letter-Medicaid.pdf

8. Hinton, E., Diana, A., & Rudowitz, R. (2025, July 30). A Closer Look at the Work Requirement Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Law. KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-closer-look-at-the-work-requirement-provisions-in-the-2025-federal-budget-reconciliation-law/

9. Joseph, A. (2025, July 29). Avenel Joseph, PhD, on the 60th Anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/2025/07/statement-from-avenel-joseph-on-the-60th-anniversary-of-medicaid-and-medicare.html