Folks
without Medicare or private health insurance may be able to get on Medicaid, which
helps pay medical costs for financially needy people. If you have a low income
and few assets other than your home, you may qualify for assistance from your
state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid will pay for doctor visits, hospital costs,
and long-term nursing home care.
If
you have too high an income or too many assets to be eligible for Medicaid, you
may still qualify for one of several Medicaid-administered programs to help you
meet medical costs: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income
Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), or Qualifying Individual (QI).
If
you're on Medicare, you know that Medicare pays for only about half of a
person's medical costs. If you can't afford medigap insurance or a Medicare
Advantage plan, Medicaid can pay for Medicare premiums, deductibles, and
copayments, and it also covers some services Medicare does not.