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Poverty Trap

A situation where individuals may choose not to work due to the loss of health insurance benefits, despite low-paying job opportunities.

Medicaid Expansion

The process by which states increased Medicaid coverage in the 1980s and 1990s to include near-poor individuals earning up to 135% or 185% of the poverty line.

Health Insurance Benefits

Coverage provided by employers that can influence a parent's decision to work or not, particularly in low-paying jobs.

Medicaid Participation

As of 2014, approximately 69.7 million people were enrolled in Medicaid, with nearly half being children.

Healthcare Expenditures

The highest costs associated with healthcare are for the elderly population, which makes up about 25% of Medicaid participants.

Medicaid Enrollment Demographics

The largest group enrolled in Medicaid are children (47%), followed by adults (28%), the blind and disabled (16%), and seniors (9%).

Medicaid Spending Distribution

The government allocates 64% of Medicaid spending to seniors, the blind, and disabled, while children receive 21% and adults 15%.

Income Inequality

The unequal distribution of income among different groups in a market economy, comparing high, middle, and low-income earners.

Measuring Income Distribution

The process of dividing the population into groups (quintiles) to analyze income levels and disparities.

Lorenz Curve

A graphical representation used to measure income distribution and inequality within a population.

Subjective Poverty Levels

The concept that poverty can vary based on a country's overall income levels and is often measured as a percentage of median income.