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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  October 21, 2022 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net 

 

THIRD ANNUAL “MEDICAID VOTER” REPORT HIGHLIGHTS SUPPORT FOR HEALTH COVERAGE PROGRAMS IN RED AND BLUE STATES ALIKE 

WASHINGTON—A new report from the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) finds that Medicaid remains a more influential and potent electoral issue than conventional wisdom might suggest.  

 

The third edition of “The Medicaid Voter” white paper traces the bipartisan roots of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), quantifies the impact of Medicaid and CHIP by state and by Congressional District, highlights past and current bipartisan support for the program, and recounts the recent history of Medicaid’s political salience in state elections. 

“What we’ve seen over and over with Medicaid and CHIP over the last few years is that when you ask voters directly, their support for these programs spans the typical red-state-versus-blue-state divide, particularly when it comes to expansion,” said ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray. “Officeholders and candidates alike ignore Medicaid at their own peril.”  

Among key findings in this year’s white paper: 

• Medicaid enrollee populations increased 10.2 percent year-over-year, from September 2020 to September 2021, to more than 89.1 million enrollees. Medicaid populations increased in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia; Medicaid populations decreased in Kentucky and Rhode Island. 

• Of the ten congressional districts with the largest total Medicaid enrollment, six are represented by Republicans and four by Democrats. 
• Of the ten congressional districts with the largest total CHIP enrollment, five are represented by Republicans and five are represented by Democrats. 
• Of the ten congressional districts with the largest Medicaid expansion populations, five are represented by Republicans and five by Democrats. 

Using data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United States Census Bureau, the study estimates the number of persons by state and Congressional district enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, as well as the estimated number of Americans in each state and Congressional District who have benefited from Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. 

Read the study in full at www.communityplans.net. 

 

About ACAP:
ACAP represents 74 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 20 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net. 

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