Medicaid is an assistance program at the state and federal level that provides health coverage if you have a very low income, regardless of age.
Medicaid is funded jointly by states and the federal government. Those eligible for Medicaid can include:
- eligible low-income adults
- children
- pregnant women
- elderly adults
- people with disabilities
Medicaid is administered and operated by states, according to federal requirements, and each state’s program is a little different depending on the needs and goals of that state. Below are frequently asked questions to help you connect with the appropriate resource to address your health coverage needs.
How do I contact my state Medicaid office?
The Medicaid.gov website offers links to each state’s Medicaid office, so you can visit their site and find your state’s contacts.
Are hospice services available?
Hospice services are available in every state through Medicaid and you can find information about those benefits on Medicaid.gov. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has prepared a downloadable PDF with more information on the hospice benefit and your rights.
Is palliative care available through Medicaid?
Some states, such as California, require community-based palliative care be available to people on Medicaid. Effective January 2018, the state’s Senate Bill 1004 (SB 1004) requires Medi-Cal managed care plans to cover palliative care for patients suffering from cancer, end-stage liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure. Patients may continue curative treatments while receiving palliative care. Be sure to check your state’s website carefully so you can get all the benefits to which you are entitled.
What is CHIP?
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides comprehensive benefits to children (Source: Medicaid.gov). States have flexibility to design their own program within federal guidelines, so benefits vary by state and by the type of CHIP program. States may choose between a Medicaid expansion program, a separate CHIP, or a combination of both types of programs.
Beginning March 23, 2010, with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and CHIP-eligible individuals under age 21 who elect the hospice benefit no longer have to waive services for the cure or treatment of the terminal condition and can receive both curative care and hospice care for the terminal condition.
