Medicaid covers 83 million people in the United States, 44% of whom are children. People living in nursing homes are also commonly on Medicaid. The program covers more than 60% of nursing home residents, 20% of assisted living facility residents, and over half of long-term care facility residents.
Yet many Medicaid recipients don’t realize they’re enrolled because the program goes by different names in different states. And some who aren’t on Medicaid wonder why they should care about the cuts.
However, just because someone doesn’t need Medicaid now, doesn’t mean they never will — especially given the U.S.’s aging population and current instability with jobs, the economy, and infrastructure.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade, but those losses won’t take effect until after the November 2026 midterm elections, which means Americans may forget which politicians put the cuts in place.
Check out the names in the map below, or click here for a larger scale map.
An award-winning journalist, Katie has written for Chicago Health since 2016 and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief.
