Medicaid Spending Growth and the Great Recession, 2007-2009

This fact sheet from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines how the recent recession drove up Medicaid enrollment as millions of Americans lost jobs and income, and how that increase in enrollment has been the primary cause of the increase in overall Medicaid spending.

From December 2007 through December 2009, Medicaid monthly enrollment rose by nearly 6 million (14%) largely due to the deepening recession and supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s enhanced federal funding and protections against eligibility restrictions. Without Medicaid, the number of uninsured Americans would have undoubtedly been higher than the 50 million uninsured in 2009.

The fact sheet compares total Medicaid enrollment in the 50 states, expenditures for medical services, and spending per enrollee from 2007 to 2009.