Medicaid
Uninsured
Medicare
Military or veteran’s
Employer or union
Something else

%
%
%
%
%
%

Excellent/Very good
30
33
40
51
59
52

Fair/Poor
40
31
31
21
11
18

GALLUP-SHARECARE WELL-BEING INDEX

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. adults who receive their healthcare coverage through Medicaid are in worse health than those with other forms of health insurance. Three in 10 adults covered by Medicaid describe their health as ” excellent” or “very good,” compared with 59% of those receiving employer- or union-based insurance and 51% receiving military or veteran’s health insurance. Even the uninsured (33%) and adults covered by Medicare (40%) — which predominantly insures adults aged 65 and older — are more likely than Medicaid recipients to rate their health positively.

These results are based on 147,465 interviews conducted among U.S. adults aged 18 and older Jan. 2-Nov. 5, 2017, as part of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. Currently, 9.3% of U.S. adults younger than 65 receive their coverage through Medicaid.

One reason that Medicaid recipients may be less likely to report being in good health is that the system is designed for individuals with disabilities and those in lower-income households who cannot obtain health insurance elsewhere. According to Gallup/Sharecare data, 63% of those insured by Medicaid report […]