In fiscal 2012, total state spending on Medicaid rose to an estimated $398.4 billion, bringing the program’s average share of state budgets to 23.9%, according to a report from the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Medicaid has accounted for the single largest portion of states’ total spending each year since 2009, outpacing elementary/secondary education, the association’s data show.
The increase in total spending from 2011 to 2012 was 1.2%, which is considerably less than the 9.6% increase from 2010 to 2011 and "significantly below historical trends," the report noted.
