LAUSR

The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has resulted in unprecedented job losses, disrupting health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. Several models predict large increases in Medicaid enrollment among those who have lost jobs, yet the number of Americans who have gained coverage since the pandemic is unknown. We compile early Medicaid enrollment reports covering the period of March 1 through June 1, 2020 for 26 states. We find that, in these 26 states, Medicaid has covered over an additional 1.7 million Americans in roughly a three-month period. Relative changes in Medicaid enrollment differed significantly across states although enrollment growth was not systemically related to job losses. Our results point to the importance of state policy differences in the response to COVID-19. [Editor's Note: This Fast Track Ahead Of Print article is the accepted version of the peer-reviewed manuscript. The final edited version will appear in an upcoming issue of Health Affairs.].