How Rebranding Hides Threats to Your Care

On Capitol Hill, the clock is ticking. Republicans are racing to finalize numbers for President Trump’s tax plan and domestic policy agenda — and Medicaid, the health care lifeline for more than 70 million Americans, is squarely in their sights. House GOP leaders are facing enormous pressure to find nearly $880 billion in “savings,” and cutting Medicaid benefits is at the center of the debate.

But here’s the kicker: millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid may have no idea their health care is at risk.

That’s because, in state after state, Medicaid has been rebranded under names that hide the program’s true identity. In Tennessee, it’s “TennCare.” In Oklahoma, it’s “SoonerCare.” In California, it’s “Medi-Cal.” In Washington, it’s “Apple Health.” Many of these programs are run by private insurance companies like UnitedHealth Group, Centene or Blue Cross Blue Shield — meaning patients might carry a card from a big insurer without ever seeing the word “Medicaid” at all.

This begs a fundamental question: If people are enrolled in Medicaid, but don’t know it, how can they be expected to care — or advocate for themselves — when politicians move to gut it?

When your health plan says “Blue Cross” or “UnitedHealthcare” instead of “Medicaid,” it’s easy to miss what’s really happening. Congressional Republicans are edging toward cuts to health coverage that millions of American families depend on — but those millions are left unaware, insulated by branding strategies and private contracts that sever the emotional and political connection between them and the public program they rely on.

This didn’t happen by accident. Over the past two decades, for-profit insurance companies have quietly taken over state Medicaid programs through “managed care” contracts. Today, about three-quarters of all Medicaid enrollees are in these private plans. Companies like UnitedHealth Group, Centene and others are reaping billions of taxpayer dollars each year — while millions of Americans have no idea that Medicaid-designated tax dollars are the engine behind their health care.

This has real consequences. First, it lets politicians slash Medicaid funding without facing the same kind of public backlash they would if more people knew their health care was on the chopping block. Second, it shields insurers from public scrutiny, even as they profit handsomely off programs meant for low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.

According to Harvard health economist Dr. Ben Sommers, nearly 6 million people with Medicaid coverage don’t even realize they have it. During the pandemic, that number ballooned to 18 million. The confusion is not just limited to patients: even policymakers struggle – like now-HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does. 

If lawmakers find it challenging to understand, what chance does the average American have?

And that’s the danger. If you don’t realize your health insurance is Medicaid, you might think that when Congress talks about cutting Medicaid, they’re talking about cutting somebody else’s coverage, not your own.

Here is a list of the state’s Medicaid programs and what they’re called:

Alabama: Alabama Medicaid (no rebrand)

Alaska: DenaliCare (formerly Alaska Medicaid)

Arizona: Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Arkansas: Arkansas Medicaid (no rebrand; “Arkansas Works” was used for expansion but is no longer active)

California: Medi-Cal (distinct state branding)

Colorado: Health First Colorado (distinct state branding)

Connecticut: HUSKY Health (HUSKY A, B, C, and D are Medicaid/CHIP programs)

Delaware: Delaware Medicaid (no rebrand)

Florida: Florida Medicaid (no major rebrand, but the program, administered by private insurers, is called the “Florida Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance Program”)

Georgia: Georgia Medicaid (managed care program branded as “Georgia Families”)

Hawaii: Med-QUEST (distinct state branding)

Idaho: Idaho Medicaid (no rebrand)

Illinois: Illinois Medicaid (managed care program called “HealthChoice Illinois”)

Indiana: Hoosier Healthwise (for children and pregnant women) and Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) (for adults)

Iowa: IA Health Link (managed care program branding)

Kansas: KanCare (distinct state branding)

Kentucky: Kentucky Medicaid (managed care; an attempt was made to rebrand it as “Kentucky HEALTH” but it was blocked)

Louisiana: Healthy Louisiana (distinct managed care branding)

Maine: MaineCare (distinct state branding)

Maryland: Maryland Medicaid (managed care program called “HealthChoice”)

Massachusetts: MassHealth (distinct state branding)

Michigan: Michigan Medicaid (expansion population covered under “Healthy Michigan Plan”)

Minnesota: Medical Assistance (MA) (official term; no separate brand)

Mississippi: Mississippi Medicaid (no rebrand)

Missouri: MO HealthNet (distinct state branding)

Montana: Montana Medicaid (no rebrand; Medicaid expansion called “HELP Plan”)

Nebraska: Nebraska Medicaid (managed care program called “Heritage Health”)

Nevada: Nevada Medicaid (no major rebrand; CHIP is called “Nevada Check Up”)

New Hampshire: New Hampshire Medicaid (expansion population previously under “NH Health Protection Program”)

New Jersey: NJ FamilyCare (distinct state branding)

New Mexico: Centennial Care (distinct state branding)

New York: New York State Medicaid (managed care under “Mainstream Medicaid Managed Care”)

North Carolina: NC Medicaid (managed care launched as “NC Medicaid Managed Care” in 2021)

North Dakota: North Dakota Medicaid (no rebrand)

Ohio: Ohio Medicaid (no rebrand)

Oklahoma: SoonerCare (distinct state branding)

Oregon: Oregon Health Plan (OHP) (distinct state branding)

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Medicaid (managed care program called “HealthChoices”)

Rhode Island: Rhode Island Medicaid (expansion populations also branded under “Rhody Health Partners”)

South Carolina: Healthy Connections (distinct state branding)

South Dakota: South Dakota Medicaid (no rebrand)

Tennessee: TennCare (distinct state branding)

Texas: Texas Medicaid (no rebrand, but widespread managed care through various private plans)

Utah: Utah Medicaid (expansion branded temporarily as “Medicaid Expansion” or limited benefits under “Primary Care Network (PCN)”)

Vermont: Green Mountain Care (umbrella branding for Medicaid and other health programs)

Virginia: Virginia Medicaid (managed care for certain populations branded under “Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus”)

Washington: Apple Health (distinct state branding)

West Virginia: West Virginia Medicaid (no rebrand)

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Medicaid (expansion program called “BadgerCare Plus”)

Wyoming: Wyoming Medicaid (no rebrand)

This year’s budget battles could reshape Medicaid for a generation. Yet the branding — the renaming, the outsourcing to big insurers — has made Medicaid cuts seem like an abstract policy issue rather than the gut punch it truly is. With over 60 different names for Medicaid used throughout the country, patients whose lives are on the line if Medicaid cuts are passed may have no idea they are in danger.

If Congress winds up slashing Medicaid, the ripple effects won’t just harm the uninsured or the poor. It will strain hospitals, drive up costs for everyone and deepen the health care crisis already unfolding in rural and underserved areas.

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As Dr. Adam Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based emergency physician, told Stateline: “One of the important parts about democracy is people being educated about what their representatives are voting for or against, and also how to advocate for yourself. If you don’t fundamentally understand or fully grasp the benefits you have, then it’s harder to advocate.”

The best thing when navigating our for-profit health care system is to be an informed consumer. If you or someone you know is enrolled in SoonerCare, TennCare, Apple Health, or another state program, know that it is Medicaid — and it’s under threat.

The second-best thing is to contact your representatives. Tell them you oppose cuts to Medicaid — and suggest they instead scrutinize the business practices (and profits) of the private insurers that manage most Medicaid programs. Tell your friends and family, especially those who may not realize what’s at stake. In the end, Medicaid isn’t just a government program. It’s the quiet lifeline that keeps tens of millions of Americans healthy, working and alive.