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.
Medicaid Basics: Eligibility and Coverage
Medicaid is a program that provides very low-cost or free health care to some adults and children with limited incomes.
Getting Approval for Medicaid Services: Medical Necessity
State Medicaid programs can deny coverage for a particular treatment if the treatment is not medically necessary. Each state has defined the term "medical necessity" differently in their laws and regulations; the federal Medicaid Act doesn't have a definition of medical necessity.
Benefits for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)
Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) can receive services from several different federal health programs.
How Does Medicaid's Medically Needy Program Work?
Medicaid is a program that provides health insurance to adults and children with limited incomes.
Appealing a Medicaid Denial for a Service or Treatment
If you receive a notice of action that you are being denied Medicaid, appeal.
How to Appeal a Denial of Medicaid (Non-Eligibility)
If you applied for Medicaid and your state Medicaid agency denied your application, then you can appeal the denial.
When Will Medicaid Pay for a Nursing Home or Assisted Living?
Here's an introduction to Medicaid's complicated rules on eligibility for nursing homes, assisted living, and home health care.
How Can I Safely Transfer My Assets to Get Medicaid to Pay for Long-Term Care?
While Medicaid finances most long-term care in this country, Medicaid is supposed to be "the payer of last resort" when it comes to long-term care.
Using a Medicaid Special Needs Trust When You Have Too Many Assets to Qualify
Special needs trusts, which are also sometimes called special treatment trusts or special purpose trusts, are designed to hold assets that can be used for the benefit of someone who is receiving Me
Are Revocable or Irrevocable Living Trusts Useful in Qualifying for Medicaid?
Individuals who have assets in excess of the
Paying Back the State: Medicaid Estate Recovery Rules
If Medicaid pays for nursing home care, the state can try to collect reimbursement for these costs after your death.
Nevada's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program
If you live in Nevada and you've received Medicaid to pay for certain services during your life, Nevada's Medicaid Program will attempt to recover some costs from your estate when you die.