Medicaid and CHIP

Medicaid provides medical care for certain poor and low-income people, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides coverage mostly for children in low-income families that do not qualify for Medicaid. CBO’s work on Medicaid and CHIP includes projections of federal spending for the programs (including the effects of the Affordable Care Act), cost estimates for legislative proposals, and analyses of specific aspects of the programs and options for changing them.

Report
The 2019 Long-Term Budget Outlook
June 25, 2019
If current laws generally remained unchanged, large budget deficits would boost federal debt to unprecedented levels over the next 30 years, CBO projects.
Report
Federal Subsidies for Health Insurance Coverage for People Under Age 65: 2019 to 2029
May 2, 2019
CBO and JCT project that federal subsidies, taxes, and penalties associated with health insurance coverage for people under age 65 will result in a net subsidy from the federal government of $737 billion in 2019 and $1.3 trillion in 2029.
Report
Prices for and Spending on Specialty Drugs in Medicare Part D and Medicaid
March 18, 2019
In 2015, brand-name specialty drugs accounted for about 30 percent of net spending on prescription drugs under Medicare Part D and Medicaid, but they accounted for only about 1 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in each program.
Report
Exploring the Growth of Medicaid Managed Care
August 7, 2018
CBO presents information on enrollment in and spending for Medicaid managed care and analyzes factors affecting those measures—including the types of beneficiaries, geographic areas, and range of services that managed care programs cover.
Cost Estimate
H.R. 1628, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017: An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
July 20, 2017
CBO and JCT estimate that enacting this legislation would reduce federal deficits by $420 billion over the coming decade and increase the number of people who are uninsured by 22 million in 2026 relative to the number under current law.
Report
Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid: Characteristics, Health Care Spending, and Evolving Policies
June 6, 2013
People eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits—known as “dual-eligible beneficiaries”—are a varied group, but many have extensive health care needs and account for a disproportionate share of spending on Medicare and Medicaid.