Who is covered by Medicaid?
Medicaid is the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income Americans, and is jointly financed by the Federal and State governments. The program finances health and long-term care services for children and adults in low-income working families and for the elderly and disabled. Individuals must meet both financial and categorical criteria to qualify and be either a U.S. citizen or have five years of legal residency. Federal law mandates eligibility for certain groups, and states have authority to expand eligibility beyond federal minimums through waivers or amendments to their State Medicaid Plans. According to Medicaid: A Primer, Kaiser Family Foundation (2007), states cannot receive federal matching funds to extend Medicaid to adults under age 65 without children, unless they are pregnant or disabled. As a result, over 40% of low-income adults without children are uninsured. According to Medicaid: An Overview of Spending on “Mandatory” vs. “Optional” Populations and Servic
