Medicaid is a public health insurance program that covered about 72 million people, as of March 2025, including many people with mental health conditions, as well as pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, working families, and veterans.
Medicaid pays for vital services that people with mental health conditions rely on such as medications, case management, therapy, peer supports, and crisis care.
In July 2025, Congress passed significant cuts to Medicaid that will impact millions of Americans. Read on to learn more about these cuts and how Medicaid impacts people with mental health conditions.
- Read NAMI and Legal Action Center’s issue brief on how policymakers can limit the impact of work reporting requirements on people with mental illness.
- NAMI FAQs on how work reporting requirements impact people with mental illness
Where NAMI Stands on Medicaid
In 2025, NAMI advocates took more than 168,000 actions to protect Medicaid for people affected by mental health conditions. NAMI also spoke out frequently about changes to Medicaid:
- July 3: NAMI Statement on Final Passage of Bill Cutting Medicaid for Millions of Americans
- July 1: NAMI Statement on Senate Advancing Harmful Medicaid Cuts
- May 22: NAMI Statement on Devastating Medicaid, SNAP Cuts Passed by U.S. House
- May 12: NAMI Press Release: House Budget Reconciliation Proposals Will Be Devastating for Medicaid, People with Mental Illness
- April 3: NAMI Press Release: Proposed Cuts to Medicaid Deeply Unpopular Across Party Lines, New NAMI-Ipsos Poll Finds
- February 26: NAMI Statement on House Budget Resolution Putting Mental Health Care at Risk for Millions
Cuts to Medicaid funding or benefits disproportionately harm people with mental health and substance use conditions. Read NAMI’s public policy positions on Medicaid.
Medicaid and Mental Health in Your State
Download state-specific fact sheets on how Medicaid impacts mental health care in your state.
Additional Actions
- NAMI Statement on Final Passage of Bill Cutting Medicaid for Millions of Americans (July 3)
- Joint Statement: Historic Setback for Mental Health Care: Leading Mental Health Advocates Denounce Cuts to Mental Health Care (July 3)
- NAMI Statement on Senate Advancing Harmful Medicaid Cuts (July 1)
- Mental Health Liaison Group letter to House leadership: Protect Medicaid for People with Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Disorders (June 30)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage letter to Senate committee leadership: One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Impact on Patients (June 28)
- Modern Medicaid Alliance letter to Senate leadership urging them to protect Medicaid from proposed cuts in H.R. 1 (June 12)
- Mental Health Liaison Group letter to Senate Finance and Budget Committees: Protect Medicaid for People with Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Disorders (June 10)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage statement: Patient Coalition Condemns House-Passed H.R. 1 for Stripping Coverage from Millions (June 6)
- Joint Statement: Five Leading Advocacy Organizations Condemn Medicaid Cuts, Urge Senate to Safeguard Access to Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment (May 22)
- NAMI Statement on Devastating Medicaid, SNAP Cuts Passed by U.S. House (May 22)
- NAMI Press Release: House Budget Reconciliation Proposals Will Be Devastating for Medicaid, People with Mental Illness (May 12)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage statement: Healthcare programs are lifelines, not line items, urge patient groups (May 12)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage letter expressing deep alarm and strong opposition to the devastating Medicaid cuts being considered for inclusion in the FY25 budget reconciliation package (May 5)
- NAMI Press Release: Proposed Cuts to Medicaid Deeply Unpopular Across Party Lines, New NAMI-Ipsos Poll Finds (April 3)
- Modern Medicaid Alliance letter to Senate leadership urging Congress to reject cuts to Medicaid (April 3)
- NAMI Press Release: NAMI Statement on House Budget Resolution Putting Mental Health Care at Risk for Millions (February 26)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage statement: National Patient Organizations United in Opposition to House Budget Resolution that Threatens Medicaid Coverage for Millions (February 24)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage statement: Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (February 14)
- Mental Health Liaison Group statement: House Budget Resolution Would Put Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services at Risk for Millions of Americans (February 14)
- NAMI-led coalition letter to Congress on protecting Medicaid for people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders (January 29)
- Partnership to Protect Coverage letter to House and Senate leadership on healthcare priorities for the 119th Congress, including ensuring Medicaid remains accessible and affordable (January 24)
- Medicaid Work Requirements Don’t Work
- Protect Medicaid. Protect Mental Health video