DataPoint: Medicaid Spending Variances

An analysis of 2011 Medicaid per enrollee spending ranks New York second nationally and 59 percent above the national average. Average Medicaid spending per full-benefit enrollee was $6,502 nationwide. The highest Medicaid spending per enrollee was primarily found in the Northeast. Bordering states Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey rank first, seventh, and fourteenth, respectively. New York also had the fifth highest Medicaid per enrollee spending in the elderly enrollment category, which exceeded the national average by 62 percent. Elderly enrollment spending was much greater than spending for children and adults because of the complexity of acute services and long term care.

Further nationwide Medicaid per enrollee spending statistics can be found here. Additional information can be found in the Kaiser Family Foundation’s issue brief here. The Kaiser analysis examines Medicaid spending per enrollee across eligibility groups, across states, and over time.

Contact: Ken Allison, kallison@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8820