Kaiser Reports Surging Medicaid Enrollment

The increase in enrollment reflects the role that Medicaid plays in reducing the numbers of people who become uninsured when the economy falters, with many people turning to the program for help after being laid off and losing their employer-based health insurance, Kaiser noted in its report. However, millions who were not eligible for Medicaid likely joined the ranks of the nation’s uninsured, the report observes.

“State Medicaid programs have been able to help millions of Americans who have nowhere else to turn in a recession,” said Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the foundation and executive director of KCMU. “But the states obviously face significant fiscal pressures as increases in enrollment push up costs at a time when state budgets are already severely constrained.”