The Medicaid Program - General

Medicaid is a medical assistance program that is partially funded by the Federal Government but run by each State. Medicaid pays for basic medical care for people and families with low incomes and resources. People who are blind or disabled, age 65 or older, children, or members of families with dependent children may be eligible. Using broad Federal guidelines, each State runs its own Medicaid program. The State decides who is eligible and the amount of medical care and services it will cover.

Representatives in your local public assistance office can tell you about eligibility for Medicaid and whether you qualify. You may also want to ask them about other assistance in your community for which you may be eligible. For more information on the Medicaid program, see http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/

Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia provide Medicaid to people eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In these States, the SSI application is also the Medicaid application. Medicaid eligibility usually starts the same month as SSI eligibility, but in certain circumstances can also be retroactive for up to three months. The following jurisdictions use the same rules to decide eligibility for Medicaid as Social Security Administration uses for SSI, but require filing a separate application: Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Northern Mariana Islands The following States use their own eligibility rules for Medicaid, which are different from SSI rules. In these States a separate application for Medicaid must be filed: Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia.

For more information, see Medicaid for SSI recipients.