This data note looks at national and state-by-state Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data through April 2021, as the vaccine was becoming more available to the general public. After declines in enrollment from 2017 through 2019, total Medicaid/CHIP enrollment grew to 82.3 million in April 2021, an increase of 11.1 million from enrollment in February 2020 (15.5%), right before the pandemic and when enrollment began to steadily increase.
Increases in enrollment reflect changes in the economy (as more people experience income and job loss and become eligible and enroll in Medicaid and CHIP coverage) and provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that require states to ensure continuous coverage to current Medicaid enrollees to access a temporary increase in the Medicaid match rates. While enrollment has increased for 14 consecutive months, the monthly increases appear to be slowing compared to April through August 2020, when monthly increases were the largest. However, continued economic uncertainty and fallout from the more transmissible delta variant could impact future Medicaid enrollment trends.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Analysis of National Trends in Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
