Cuts to Medicaid Will Shift Costs to Families, Providers and Will Be Especially Harmful to Rural Communities

33.9% of non-elderly adult New Yorkers living in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid.

Medicaid is the backbone of many aspects of our health care system including paying for the majority of nursing home residents, covering 40 to 50 percent of children and births depending on where you live, people with disabilities and other low-income people. Medicaid covers almost 80 million people in total – roughly four times as many people as covered by the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces and considerably more than the roughly 48 million seniors covered by Medicare. This is particularly true in rural areas where a higher share of residents are covered by Medicaid. Rural areas face greater challenges in their health ecosystems as their residents have higher rates of chronic diseases, hospitals are operating on tighter margins, and provider shortages are more acute.

Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, Center for Children and Families
January 15, 2025
by Joan Alker