On March 15, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) presented its first annual Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP.  The report found that Medicaid covered 68 million individuals in FY2010, with state and federal spending totaling $406 billion, or 8.1 percent of federal outlays.  In addition, MACPAC determined that the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covered 8 million children in FY2010 at a total cost of $11 billion.  Finally, the report also notes that the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) determined that Medicaid financed 25 percent of behavioral health treatment in 2003.

From the report:

Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are sources of health care coverage for 76 million people, almost one quarter of the population. Medicaid finances health care and related services for more than 30 million low-income children, more than 10 million low-income persons with disabilities, and 6 million low- income seniors with Medicare. CHIP finances health coverage for 8 million uninsured children in families with moderate incomes above Medicaid eligibility levels.

This is the first report of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) to the Congress. The purpose of this initial report is to contribute to a better understanding of the Medicaid and CHIP programs, their roles in the U.S. health care system, and the key policy and data issues to be addressed. This first report also sets out an analytic framework that serves as the foundation for the Commission’s future work with respect to access and payment. Also included in the Report is a compilation of Medicaid and CHIP program information, including state-specific information about program enrollment, spending, eligibility levels, Medicaid benefits covered, and the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP). This section of the Report, called MACStats, will be a standing supplement in all Commission reports to the Congress.

Full Report: MACPAC: Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP 

Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. (2011). Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP.