Thanks to strong economic conditions in recent years prior to 2020, Medicaid, the nation's health insurance program for eligible individuals with limited income and resources, had been experiencing a slight downtrend in enrollment. Medicaid agencies, which administer the program in each state, anticipated more of the same in 2020. Those expectations quickly changed as the Covid-19 outbreak, which began in China in late 2019, began spreading across the nation. Before the new year was even a month old, U.S. officials had declared a public health emergency and soon thereafter efforts to bring the outbreak under control began. Americans soon discovered that measures to control the spread of Covid-19 had a terrible byproduct: an unprecedent, and still ongoing, disruption of business activity and widespread economic hardship for millions. In contrast to pre-pandemic expectations of minimal enrollment growth, between widespread economic hardship for many individuals and federal efforts to support health insurance coverage during a public health crisis, Medicaid rolls surged during the first half of 2020. The most recently published Medicaid enrollment data, which is current as of 7/1/20, reveals national enrollment growth of 6.5%, or more than 4 million people, since the beginning of 2020. Given the extent of the economic hardships and the uncertainty about the duration of such conditions, Medicaid agencies now forecast still more growth in enrollment in the current fiscal year that began this past July.
Every region of the U.S. has seen a bump in its Medicaid enrollment numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In the four-state Southwest region, the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has been the most severe of any region in the country. During the first half of 2020, Medicaid enrollment in the region grew 8.9%, as compared to the 6.5% enrollment growth nationally. Here's a quick look at Medicaid enrollment growth at the state and regional level in the Southwest during the first half of 2020:
 | |
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Medicaid Enrollment in the Southwest |
| Medicaid Enrollment (in 000s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | July 1, 2020 | Jan 1, 2020 | Growth | ||
| AZ | 1,754.6 | 1,605.9 | 9.3% | ||
| NM | 742.2 | 706.1 | 5.1% | ||
| OK | 680.4 | 600.2 | 13.4% | ||
| TX | 3,931.2 | 3,617.1 | 8.7% | ||
| SW Only | 7,108.3 | 6,529.3 | 8.9% | ||
| National | 68,826.6 | 64,621.4 | 6.5% | ||
Source: Medicaid.gov Enrollment Reports.
