Americans Strongly Support Medicaid

The importance of Medicaid

• According to the May 2011 Kaiser Health Tracking poll, about half of Americans (51 percent) report some personal connection to Medicaid, including having received health coverage, long-term care, or Medicare premium assistance from Medicaid themselves (20 percent), or having a friend or family member who has gotten this type of assistance (31 percent).  In line with this, the poll finds that 49 percent of the public says Medicaid is "very" or "somewhat" important for them and their family.
• Among the one in five adults who have personally ever received Medicaid benefits, the vast majority (86 percent) say that their overall experiences with the program have been positive, including nearly half (45 percent) who say they were "very positive." (Similar to ratings of their current health plan among those covered by private insurance (89 percent positive, including 44 percent "very positive.")
• A Harris poll showed that nationally, 76 percent of adults supported Medicaid "a great deal" or "somewhat," measuring close to Medicare (88 percent), Social Security (85 percent) and federal aid to public schools (79 percent).

Opposing cuts to Medicaid

• A recent Bloomberg News poll showed that Medicaid cuts were the least popular option for reducing the deficit, with 76 percent of American's opposing it.
• The May 2011 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that 83 percent of Americans are opposed to major cuts to Medicaid as a way to reduce the deficit; 60 percent of people want to keep Medicaid as it is, with the federal government guaranteeing coverage and setting minimum standards for benefits and eligibility.
• Public opposition to cuts to Medicaid is growing. According to a Washington Post/ABC poll in April 2011, 69 percent of Americans disapproved of cuts to Medicaid to reduce the deficit; in July 2011 the number had grown to 72 percent in opposition.

Strategies for getting out the message of support

• Focus on people, not just the program by working Medicaid beneficiaries and their families to share their stories with the public, policymakers and the media.  Our Storybanking Guide provides tools and tips to help with story collection and dissemination.
• Hold editorial board meetings to engage your local paper's editors and shape coverage of the issue. Our tip sheet gives you the ABCs - from requesting the meeting, to preparation, and having an impact during the meeting.
• Organize community meetings and listening sessions to discuss Medicaid's importance.
• Submit letters to the editor or op-eds in community newspapers about the importance of Medicaid and to fight threats to the program. Work with supportive stakeholders to co-author or submit their own op-eds. 
• Schedule meetings or phone calls with your legislators and their staff. Organize a diverse group of stakeholders and constituents to meet with local and state policymakers and emphasize the importance of protecting Medicaid. Use our guide to a successful policymaker meeting along with our basic message box.
• Organize a sign-on letter from advocacy organizations and other stakeholders in your state asking policymakers to oppose any Medicaid cuts that shift costs onto beneficiaries or state governments.
• Generate calls and letters to policymakers' offices from constituents that show support for Medicaid and oppose harmful changes to the program.
• Flood the policymakers' twitter or Facebook pages with supportive messages about Medicaid from your grassroots network.

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Sources: 

Kaiser Family Foundation, Health Tracking Poll, May 2011. Margin of error +/-3%
Harris Poll, Government Services, May 2011.
ABC News/Washington Post Polls, April 2011 & July 2011, +/- 3.5 percentage points
Bloomberg News National Poll, September 2011. Margin of error: +/-3.1%