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9h ago

JAMA Study Finds Emergency Medicaid for Undocumented Immigrants Is Under 1% of Medicaid Spending

Emergency Medicaid covers narrow, life-saving care for people without legal status.

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A room is shown in the extended care facility at Valley Health Hampshire Memorial Hospital on June 17, 2025 in Romney, W.V. Many of the patients in this rural West Virgina county rely on Medicaid, and the proposed work requirements would hinder their ability to seek much needed health care.

Overview

  • Analyzing FY2022 data from Washington, D.C., and 38 states, researchers found emergency Medicaid accounted for 0.4% of Medicaid spending, or about $9.63 per resident in reporting states.
  • Per-capita spending was roughly 15 times higher in states with larger undocumented populations, yet still remained under 1% of those states’ Medicaid budgets.
  • Emergency Medicaid pays for stabilizing treatment such as labor and delivery, with some states also covering dialysis and certain cancer treatments.
  • The authors say proposed 2025 budget cuts targeting this program would deliver minimal savings and disproportionately burden states with large undocumented populations and safety-net providers.
  • The study notes limitations from 11 nonreporting states and unmeasured public spending, in a system where federal law bars unauthorized immigrants from subsidized coverage except for emergency care.