Medicare and Medicaid are two different government-run programs that were created in 1965 in response to the inability of older and low-income Americans to buy private health insurance. They were part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” vision of a general social commitment to meeting individual health care needs. Medicare and Medicaid are social insurance programs that allow the financial burdens of illness to be shared among healthy and sick individuals, and affluent and low-income families.
Medicaid is not the same as Medicare.
• Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 or older or have a severe disability, no matter your income.
• Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income.
• If you are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible), you can have both. Medicare and Medicaid will work together to provide you with very good health coverage.
Qualifications
Generally an individual is eligible for Medicare if that individual or their spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment meaning you paid into Medicare through federal deductions from your paycheck. You must also be 65 years old or older and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. There are exceptions that may qualify an individual to be insured with Medicare before age 65.
Medicaid is different from Medicare and has several different factors that must be accounted for. Medicaid is income qualified so income must be below the poverty level. When an individual turns 65 they become Medicare qualified individuals and are put in a different category than the general population usually is in regard to benefits. Medicaid provides two types of Medicare; the first being a partial assistance where they (Medicaid) pays your part B premium only, and full assistance where they not only pay for your premium but they pay for all the cost sharing costs associated with the plan.
Medicare Options
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Medicare and Medicaid Options
