CMS Releases 2026 Beneficiary Profile for Medicaid

On January 16, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a data brief with demographic characteristics of the Medicaid population. The brief includes information, by state, on the percentages of the Medicaid population enrolled in comprehensive managed care and those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

Additional data shows less than 10% of the enrolled Medicaid population account for nearly 30% of program spending. This population is individuals with disabilities eligible for long-term services and supports. This group, coupled with the population of people in Medicaid over age 65, accounts for a total of 20.1% of the population and 50.6% of Medicaid spending.

The brief breaks out average spend per enrollee by eligibility pathway, with children costing an average of $4,042 in 2023, while people with disabilities incurred the highest average annual cost at $27,579 per enrollee; the spend on older adults for the same time was $19,674.

The brief provides a window into how a state's Medicaid population compares to other states. The data continues to highlight a need to focus policies on protecting older adults and people with disabilities to limit harm while protecting services vital to their ongoing wellbeing.

The full profile can be reviewed here.