What is Medicaid?

78. What is Medicaid?

Medicaid (State Department of Social Services; www.
cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp) is a medical insurance
program for people who live on a limited income.
Eligibility and coverage differ from state to state, and
some states are more restrictive than others about
income limits. People may be eligible if they have a
low income, have high medical bills, receive Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), and/or meet specific
other requirements, such as citizenship status. Some
hospitals can apply for Medicaid while a patient is
hospitalized; speak to your hospital’s financial services
department or social worker to find out more about
this potential option. Or, you may contact your local
Medicaid office or Social Services department directly;
a directory of state programs is located on the Internet
and in the Yellow Pages.


Supplemental Security Income (SSI) = A federally run 
program that provides income to eligible people over age
65 years; legally blind or disabled; who have a low income,
few assets, or a limited formal work history.


Medicaid Managed Care is similar to Medicare Managed
Care in that some states have allowed Medicaid
recipients to enroll in managed care plans. In some
states, recipients were automatically enrolled in such
programs. However, a person diagnosed with cancer
may be able to disenroll from these programs if he or
she finds that the managed care policies are too restrictive
to obtain appropriate medical care. Contact your
managed care insurance carrier or Medicaid office to
investigate the disenrollment process.


Managed care plans = Insurance or health care plans that 
rely on primary care physicians, and other methods, to 
manage or coordinate the medical care people receive.