Title: What is Medicaid? | healthinsurance.org
Headings: Medicaid
Medicaid
What is Medicaid?
What is Medicaid?
How many Americans are enrolled in Medicaid?
When did the Medicaid program start?
How is Medicaid funded?
Who is eligible for Medicaid?
How do I apply for Medicaid?
What does Medicaid cover?
Do Medicaid beneficiaries have to pay premiums?
Do all doctors accept Medicaid?

Content: How do I apply for Medicaid? You can apply for Medicaid through your state’s Medicaid office. If you’re eligible for MAGI-based Medicaid, you can also apply through your state’s health insurance marketplace/exchange. In most states, that’s HealthCare.gov, although DC and 14 states run their own marketplace website. If the marketplace or state agency determines that you’re eligible for Medicaid, they’ll give you information on how to proceed to complete your enrollment. What does Medicaid cover? Medicaid benefits vary by state and by age (for example, certain services, such as dental and vision care, have to be provided to children but are not required to be covered for adults). Some benefits are mandatory under federal rules (including things like inpatient and outpatient hospital services, labs and x-rays, and family planning services), while others are optional and states can decide whether to provide them as part of their Medicaid programs (optional benefits include some healthcare services that are considered essential health benefits under private individual and small group health plans, including things like prescription drugs and physical therapy). Medicaid covers the costs for more pregnancies in the U.S. than any other insurance payer, covering about 43 percent of all births (in some states, it’s more than 60 percent). And unlike Medicare, Medicaid does cover long-term care, and the majority of nursing home residents in the U.S. are covered under Medicaid (most also have Medicare, which covers their medical care).