Delaware’s Medicaid enrollment sits at just over 300,000
From: The Center Square
Medicaid enrollment in the United States is expected to top 100 million in the coming months, a new study shows.
The Foundation for Government Accountability says more than 98 million Americans are enrolled in the federal health care program. Delaware accounts for 307,756 of that figure, as of Oct. 31.
Medicaid, according to the release, provides health care coverage to low-income residents, including adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities.
“For years, FGA has been warning about the rising number of people on government welfare programs,” Hayden Dublois, the organization’s Data and Analytics director, said in a release. “Now, we’re nearing a grim milestone – nearly one-third of the country will be on Medicaid.”
The group’s research shows that as welfare enrollment increases workforce participation decreases and is urging the federal government to take action.
“We’re in the midst of a nationwide workforce crisis, yet the Biden administration is pushing policies to entice people into government dependency at record levels while limiting opportunities to achieve the American Dream,” Dublois said in a release.
According to the release, the organization points to rising enrollment in the program primarily due to the federal government extending the public health emergency related to COVID-19.
The group said that while those emergency measures are in place states will receive additional funding for the program with the caveat that those enrolled remain in the program.
Under the emergency, the group said, 21 million Americans are enrolled in the program who would not have qualified under nonpandemic conditions due to earning too much income or are ineligible.
“The pandemic-era policy keeping more than 21 million ineligible enrollees on Medicaid is costing taxpayers more than $16 billion per month,” Dublois said in the release. “Despite the recently enacted legislation allowing states to redetermine eligibility beginning in April, the Biden administration is slow walking the process and hoping states will be sluggish to act.”
Meanwhile, the dashboard shows, Maryland has 1,749,423 residents enrolled in Medicaid as of Oct. 31; Pennsylvania has 3,625,047 enrolled as of Nov. 30; and New Jersey has 2,206,895 enrolled as of Nov. 30.