This fact sheet examines how an economic downturn increases state Medicaid program enrollment and costs at the same time that states face new budget constraints, as well as possible policy responses.

With the problem of the uninsured continuing to grow, states have taken the lead in developing proposals to reform of their health care systems with the goal of significantly increasing the number of people with health coverage.  An interactive map and related summaries of plans track which states have enacted or are planning comprehensive initiatives to cover their uninsured population.

This primer, updated with 2007 data, reviews the basic profile of the uninsured population, how they receive care, the latest trends in health insurance coverage, and what the options are for increasing coverage.

This policy brief examines the underlying shifts in health insurance coverage in 2007 that led to an increase in coverage and projects that the current economic downturn and rising unemployment rate likely will cause the number of uninsured to grow by at least 2 million in 2008.

This policy brief finds about 39 million working-age adults nationally reported cost as a barrier to receiving needed health care in 2006, a number that grew by an average of 1 million people annually over the decade studied.  Uninsured working-aged adults experienced the most consistent erosion over the 10 years, resulting in a widening gap in access to care between insured and uninsured adults.

Based on the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2006-2007 Survey of Florida Medicaid Beneficiaries, this Health Affairs article finds that many enrollees in the state's reform program lacked key information about their Medicaid changes, leading to reporting difficulties choosing a health plan.

Florida Medicaid Reform Waiver: Early Findings and Current Status

This eighth annual 50-state survey on Medicaid and state budget actions finds enrollment began to rise in fiscal year 2008 with states expecting even larger increases for fiscal year 2009.  With the increased enrollment, Medicaid spending is also rising more rapidly than in the recent past.

The first in a series of 2008 election briefs on health policy issues provides key facts on the nation’s uninsured population, presents broad policy options for coverage, and offers questions to assess the presidential candidates' plans.

This fact sheet describes the characteristics of the uninsured population, the difference health insurance makes, and why there is a large uninsured population.