A new report on barriers to Medicaid access in 7 states show how even people who are eligible for Medicaid struggle to enroll and maintain coverage due to bureaucratic roadblocks and lack of knowledge about eligibility.

There is very little existing research on administrative or system infrastructure barriers to enrolling in or renewing Medicaid. “Sick of Waiting: Barriers to Medicaid Keep Healthcare Out of Reach” provides powerful insights into how widespread these problems are and how they’ve been exacerbated by the pandemic. While Medicaid is a federal program, it is administered on the state level, and this report reveals how each of seven states’ Medicaid services are falling short. Seven statewide power-building organizations spoke to their communities to find out what it’s like to try to access healthcare. Download the state briefs written as a result of those conversations here.