Medicaid: The Basics

This brief outlines the basics of the Medicaid program, including financing and eligibility, for new state policymakers in order to lay the groundwork for considering the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

This brief is one in a series of seven on key Medicaid issues for state policymakers. The series is designed to assist new state leaders in understanding the Medicaid program and their role in using it to improve the health of their states’ residents and communities.

#1: Priority Medicaid Issues for New State Officials

#2: Medicaid: The Basics

#3: Medicaid’s Impact on Health Care Access, Outcomes and State Economies

#4: Medicaid’s Role in Children’s Health

#5: Medicaid’s Role in Addressing Social Determinants of Health

#6: Medicaid’s Role in Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

#7: Medicaid Managed Care: Increasing Expectations and Accountability