In a prior commentary, we examined the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on enrollment in Medicaid, the national health insurance program for eligible individuals with limited income and resources. Historically, Medicaid enrollment increases during economic downturns. Soft economic conditions create more unemployment, more people without workplace health insurance, more people with reduced household incomes, and more people eligible for health insurance coverage through the Medicaid program. This is in contrast to periods of robust economic activity, when enrollment tends to drop off and even decline.
Like previous economic downturns, the Covid-19 induced contraction of economic activity has sparked a jump in Medicaid enrollment. Agencies that manage the Medicaid program in each state anticipate still more growth in enrollment in coming months. After recent years of stagnant enrollment numbers, every region of the U.S. has realized gains in Medicaid enrollment since the Covid-19 outbreak began. In the five-state Great Lakes region, the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has been more severe than in other sections of the country, as Medicaid enrollment in the region grew 7.9% during the first half of 2020, much more than the 6.5% enrollment growth nationally during the same period. Here's a summary look at Medicaid enrollment growth at the state and regional level in the Great Lakes region as Covid-19 spread during the first half of 2020:
 |
| Covid-19 and Medicaid Enrollment in the Great Lakes Region |
| Medicaid Enrollment (in 000s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | July 1, 2020 | Jan 1, 2020 | Growth | ||
| IL | 2,725.2 | 2,553.4 | 6.7% | ||
| IN | 1,516.2 | 1,376.6 | 10.1% | ||
| MI | 2,410.5 | 2,258.1 | 6.7% | ||
| OH | 2,626.1 | 2,414.0 | 8.8% | ||
| WI | 1,062.5 | 977.6 | 8.7% | ||
| GL Only | 10,340.5 | 9,579.7 | 7.9% | ||
| National | 68,826.6 | 64,621.4 | 6.5% | ||
Source: Medicaid.gov Enrollment Reports.
