Navigating the Health Insurance Landscape by Robert Adziashvili - HTML preview

Navigating the Health Insurance Landscape

1. Understanding Medicaid, Medicare and Chip

Medi c ai d an d Medi c are are t wo i mpo rt an t go v ern men t pro grams t hat hel p peo pl e wi t h t hei r heal t hc are n eeds. Medi c ai d i s desi gn ed fo r l o w-i n c o me i n di v i dual s an d fami l i es who may n o t be abl e t o affo rd medi c al c are o n t hei r o wn . It pro v i des c o v erage fo r a wi de ran ge o f serv i c es, i n c l udi n g do c t o r v i si t s, ho spi t al st ays, an d presc ri pt i o n medi c at i o n s. O n t he o t her han d, Medi c are i s a pro gram pri mari l y fo r peo pl e aged 65 an d o l der, as wel l as so me yo un ger i n di v i dual s wi t h spec i fi c di sabi l i t i es. It hel ps c o v er t he c o st s o f ho spi t al c are, medi c al v i si t s, an d c ert ai n medi c at i o n s. U n derst an di n g t hese pro grams c an be hel pful i n en suri n g yo u an d yo ur l o v ed o n es rec ei v e t he heal t hc are suppo rt yo u n eed.

When i t c o mes t o Medi c ai d, el i gi bi l i t y c ri t eri a v ary fro m st at e t o st at e, but gen eral l y, i t i s based o n i n c o me an d fami l y si z e. The pro gram i s jo i n t l y fun ded by t he federal go v ern men t an d i n di v i dual st at es, wi t h eac h st at e hav i n g so me fl exi bi l i t y i n det ermi n i n g i t s spec i fi c Medi c ai d gui del i n es. Medi c are, o n t he o t her han d, i s a federal pro gram t hat pro v i des heal t hc are c o v erage fo r el i gi bl e i n di v i dual s. Mo st peo pl e bec o me el i gi bl e fo r Medi c are when t hey t urn 65 , al t ho ugh c ert ai n i n di v i dual s wi t h di sabi l i t i es o r spec i fi c heal t h c o n di t i o n s may qual i fy earl i er. It 's i mpo rt an t t o n o t e t hat bo t h Medi c ai d an d Medi c are pl ay c ruc i al ro l es i n mak i n g heal t hc are ac c essi bl e t o t ho se who may o t herwi se st ruggl e t o affo rd i t .