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 U.S. 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 CHIP’s impact is far-reaching, affecting the people they serve, the providers they pay, and the federal and state budgets that fund them. Medicaid is the foundation of the nation’s health care safety net, representing a shared federal and state commitment to serving the health needs of low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Many of the children enrolled in CHIP are from working families who cannot afford insurance coverage or whose employers do not offer health benefits. Like other payers, Medicaid and CHIP operate in a changing health care environment. The joint federal and state programs have undergone significant changes since their enactment, particularly with respect to size, scope, and cost. Today, Medicaid is a $406 billion program that finances health care for 68 million people and CHIP is an $11 billion program that finances health care coverage for 8 million children. The federal government’s share of Medicaid program costs is $274 billion and its share of CHIP costs is $8 billion.

Full report: Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP

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