Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) play an important role in providing health insurance to low-income adults, children, and people with disabilities. The majority of Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries are racial and ethnic minorities, with over 58 percent of adult’s enrolled in Medicaid and over 68 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP identifying as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian or Alaska Native, or multi-racial.
Insurance coverage makes health care services more accessible, but it is just one of the many factors that contribute to whether individuals can access needed health care. Other factors include having a usual source of care, provider availability, the availability of transportation and the distance to travel for care, and the cost of care. These factors may affect an individual’s ability to receive needed care in a timely manner.
MACPAC analyses of national household survey data have shown that in comparison to uninsured adults and children, people enrolled in Medicaid reported substantially better access to care. Moreover, the majority of adults and children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP have a usual source of care, receive their usual care at a doctor’s office, and have had a visit with a general doctor in the past year.
Despite faring better than the uninsured, adults and children covered by Medicaid do report have some different experiences in accessing care in comparison to those with private coverage.
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- Access for adults covered by Medicaid
- Access for children covered by Medicaid and CHIP
- Access for people 65 years and older and adults and children with disabilities
- Access for special populations enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
Learn more by reading these publications:
- Medicaid’s Role in Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (2021)
- Access in Brief: Rural and Urban Health Care (2018)
- Medicaid and Rural Health (2021)
- Access and Quality in Managed Care (2011)
- Access and Value: Issues for Medicaid and CHIP as Purchasers (2012)
- Effects of Medicaid Coverage of Medicare Cost Sharing on Access to Care (2015)0
- Data Book: Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (jointly produced with MedPAC, 2018)