How does Medicaid work with Medicare to cover my health care costs?
All states offer a variety of Medicaid programs and several can help people with Medicare. If you qualify for a Medicaid program (no matter which one), Medicaid can help pay for costs and services that Medicare does not cover. Medicare is the primary payer and Medicaid pays second. • For services that both Medicare and Medicaid can cover (such as doctors visits, hospital care, home care and skilled nursing facility care), Medicare will pay first and Medicaid will pay second, by covering your remaining costs, such as the Medicare coinsurances and copayments. • In many cases if you have Medicaid, you will automatically be enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program (the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program or QMB). Also run through Medicaid, QMB will offer additional assistance by paying your Medicare Part B premium, deductibles, coinsurances and copayments. You will need to meet the guidelines for QMB eligibility in your state. • If you have Medicare, Medicaid and QMB, you should be able t
