What is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a jointly-funded federal and state health insurance program dedicated to providing healthcare for eligible low-income families or individuals, pregnant women, parents, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. 

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Medicaid is the single largest source of health insurance for residents of the United States. The ACA (also known as Obamacare) gave states the opportunity to expand Medicaid coverage to cover the majority of low income Americans under the age of 65. Eligibility for children was extended to 133% of the federal poverty line (FPL) and states were given the option to extend eligibility to adults with income at or below 133% of the FPL. Most states have chosen to expand coverage to adults, and those that have not yet expanded may choose to do so at any time. Medicaid in California is called Medi-Cal.  

 

Additionally, “medically needy” Americans who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for subsidized healthcare due to their income level exceeding the standard income ceiling may still qualify for Medicaid coverage if their expenses meet or exceed a certain threshold.