A Look at New or Expanded Medicaid and Public Health Partnerships from 2025: Findings from A Survey of State Medicaid Programs Authors: Alisha Rao, Anna Mudumala, Elizabeth Hinton, and Cory Caldwell Published: May 14, 2026

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/a-look-at-new-or-expanded-medicaid-and-public-health-partnerships-from-2025-findings-from-a-survey-of-state-medicaid-programs/ Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive coverage of health care to about 80 million low-income people in the U.S. Medicaid is an insurance program, not a population health system. It can only fund services for eligible individuals. The public health system in the U.S. is decentralized, with most authorities and programs delegated to the state and local levels. State and local public health agencies are responsible for protecting community health through surveillance, disease prevention, and policy development and enforcement. Local health departments frequently focus on service delivery (immunizations, screenings, maternal health, environmental health) and community outreach to address local health needs. Public health serves entire communities, not just insured individuals.