With some Medicaid funds to Minnesota currently halted due to fraud investigations led by Vice President JD Vance and the White House, many individuals may be wondering if their benefits could be at stake next. Statistics show that up to 33% of the population in each state, including children, may be receiving Medicaid or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) benefits as of October 2025. Even the most independent states from the Medicaid program are shown to have about 10% of their population enrolled in these benefits.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked the U.S. states based on the percentage of the population enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, based on comparing October 2025 enrollment statistics to the latest population figures.
Key Findings
California and New York are the most dependent on Medicaid. Based on October 2025 figures and the latest Census Bureau population estimates, California is most dependent on Medicaid, with 33.1% of the population enrolled. New York follows with 32.7% enrollment. On average, 21.7% of a state’s population is enrolled.
These states have the lowest rates of Medicaid enrollment. Only 9.5% of Utah’s residents are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, the lowest rate nationwide. Wyoming (10.2%), New Hampshire (12.7%), North Dakota (13.2%), and Texas (13.3%) are also among the least dependent states.
In Minnesota, 20.3% of the population is reportedly enrolled in Medicaid. Minnesota ranks 29th overall for the estimated rate of Medicaid participation, with 1,176,120 total beneficiaries as of October 2025. Managed care plans account for 83.3% of enrollees, and the average call center wait time for Medicaid services is just five minutes.
Expect over an hour of Medicaid call center wait times in these states. Sorting out your Medicaid questions takes the longest in Nevada, where wait times average 71 minutes for the 22.7% of the population that is enrolled. In Idaho, those wait times also top out over an hour, with an average of 61 minutes, with 15.6% of the population is enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.
About 3 in 4 Medicaid recipients use managed care plans. Across the states, the average managed care plan enrollment sits at 77.3%, with the remaining enrollees using Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans. On the extreme ends, Vermont, Hawai’i, and Nebraska have virtually full enrollment in managed care plans, while Idaho and Arkansas maintain roughly 95% of enrollees in an FFS plan.
Medicaid and CHIP Reliance by State
States are ranked based on the percentage of the population enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP programs as of October 2025.
SmartAsset
Medicaid and CHIP enrollment by State
States are ranked based on the percentage of the population enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP programs as of October 2025.
California
Percent of population enrolled: 33.13%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 13065328
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 96.0%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 5
New York
Percent of population enrolled: 32.74%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 6504286
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 68.2%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
New Mexico
Percent of population enrolled: 32.27%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 687427
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 81.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 6
Louisiana
Percent of population enrolled: 30.91%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1421099
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 83.7%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 3
Oregon
Percent of population enrolled: 30.52%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1303752
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 97.7%
Average call center wait time, minute: 12
Kentucky
Percent of population enrolled: 29.38%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1347898
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 89.9%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Alaska
Percent of population enrolled: 28.62%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 211854
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minute: 19
West Virginia
Percent of population enrolled: 28.12%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 497764
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 76.4%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 4
Rhode Island
Percent of population enrolled: 27.28%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 303480
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 84.1%
Average call center wait time, minute: 11
Hawai’i
Percent of population enrolled: 26.96%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 389941
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 100.0%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 42
Arkansas
Percent of population enrolled: 26.17%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 808325
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 5.3%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 8
North Carolina
Percent of population enrolled: 25.94%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 2865323
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 79.1%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Connecticut
Percent of population enrolled: 24.81%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 911816
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minute: 19
Maine
Percent of population enrolled: 24.18%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 339689
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minute: 10
Oklahoma
Percent of population enrolled: 24.15%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 989060
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 54.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 31
Illinois
Percent of population enrolled: 23.93%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 3041306
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 75.6%
Average call center wait time, minute: 17
Vermont
Percent of population enrolled: 23.48%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 152275
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 100.0%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 2
Ohio
Percent of population enrolled: 23.30%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 2768467
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 90.1%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 3
Indiana
Percent of population enrolled: 23.08%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1598204
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 81.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 5
Delaware
Percent of population enrolled: 23.08%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 242745
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 84.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 2
Pennsylvania
Percent of population enrolled: 23.03%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 3012566
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 92.3%
Average call center wait time, minute: 11
Nevada
Percent of population enrolled: 22.71%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 742058
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 74.4%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 71
Arizona
Percent of population enrolled: 22.69%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1720153
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 78.7%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 5
Michigan
Percent of population enrolled: 22.58%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 2289229
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 97.8%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
Washington
Percent of population enrolled: 22.47%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1787864
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 84.0%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
Maryland
Percent of population enrolled: 22.43%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1404754
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 94.5%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 2
Massachusetts
Percent of population enrolled: 22.36%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1595952
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 45.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 2
Iowa
Percent of population enrolled: 20.57%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 666800
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 92.9%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Minnesota
Percent of population enrolled: 20.30%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1176120
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 83.3%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 5
Mississippi
Percent of population enrolled: 20.07%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 590816
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 74.2%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Missouri
Percent of population enrolled: 20.07%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1253398
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 83.6%
Average call center wait time, minute: 13
Colorado
Percent of population enrolled: 19.99%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1191047
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minutes: 6
Tennessee
Percent of population enrolled: 19.64%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1419653
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Virginia
Percent of population enrolled: 19.14%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1686896
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 92.6%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
Wisconsin
Percent of population enrolled: 18.87%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1124746
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 66.9%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 5
Montana
Percent of population enrolled: 18.55%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 210942
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minutes: 20
New Jersey
Percent of population enrolled: 18.38%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1745800
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 91.4%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 4
Alabama
Percent of population enrolled: 18.23%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 940264
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
South Carolina
Percent of population enrolled: 18.15%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 994159
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 60.0%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
Georgia
Percent of population enrolled: 16.74%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 1872027
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 68.9%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 35
Nebraska
Percent of population enrolled: 16.63%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 333543
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 99.7%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 6
Idaho
Percent of population enrolled: 15.63%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 312807
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 6.4%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 61
Florida
Percent of population enrolled: 15.61%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 3648091
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 69.9%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 22
South Dakota
Percent of population enrolled: 14.81%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 136919
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Kansas
Percent of population enrolled: 13.52%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 401600
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 79.1%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 0
Texas
Percent of population enrolled: 13.26%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 4148608
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 92.8%
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
North Dakota
Percent of population enrolled: 13.24%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 105481
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 23.2%
Average call center wait time, minute: 10
New Hampshire
Percent of population enrolled: 12.65%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 178189
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 91.1%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 4
Wyoming
Percent of population enrolled: 10.16%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 59714
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): NA
Average call center wait time, minute: 1
Utah
Percent of population enrolled: 9.49%
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: 332621
Managed care enrollment (vs. FFS): 78.6%
Average call center wait time, minutes: 9
Data and Methodology
Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) data for October 2025 comes from Open Data from Medicaid.gov. Rates of Medicaid enrollment in each state is determined by comparing these figures to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, from the one-year American Community Survey for 2024. Other metrics like managed care plan enrollment versus fee-for-service (FFS) enrollment and call center wait times are also reported.
Reader Comments(0)