Distribution of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees 2022, by ethnicity

In 2022, just under four in ten Medicaid/CHIP enrollees were White, non-Hispanic. In comparison, roughly three-quarters of Medicare beneficiaries were White. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion in 2014, has helped reduce racial disparities in access to healthcare in the United States.

Medicaid eligibility

Medicaid provides health coverage to certain low-income individuals, families, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Each state has its own Medicaid eligibility criteria in accordance with federal guidelines. As a result, Medicaid eligibility and benefits differ widely from state to state. Medicaid expansion provision under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows states to provide coverage for low-income adults by expanding eligibility for Medicaid to 138 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL).

Medicaid coverage gap

Uninsured individuals who live in states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are referred to as being in the Medicaid coverage gap. As of January 2021, 12 states have not adopted the Medicaid expansion provision under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). More than two million uninsured adults fall into this coverage gap, and among them, more than 60 percent are people of color.