What is Medicaid?
Medicaid is a state and federal partnership. If a state chooses to participate in the Medicaid program it must provide a minimum level of coverage to certain mandatory populations. In return, the federal government pays a percentage of the costs of the program. In Nebraska, the federal government pays 60% of the costs of the program and the state pays the remaining 40%. Medicaid is an entitlement program. This means if you meet the eligibility requirements, you are entitled, under federal law, to receive the benefit. Medicaid is a pay-as-you-go benefit. This means payments are made directly to providers and are only made once the medical costs have been incurred. Medicaid is only available to certain groups of low-income people. In Nebraska, Medicaid is only available low-income children and their parents, pregnant women, the aged, and the disabled. The income eligibility limit is different for each category. Low-income parents are only eligible for Medicaid if their income is below 49
Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) is a joint federal and state program that provides medical and medically related services to many of the most vulnerable populations in society. Medicaid was enacted in the same legislation that created Medicare-the Social Security amendments of 1965. Medicaid is a “means-tested” program-eligibility is based on a person’s income and assets-for certain categories of people. Medicaid does not provide assistance to all low-income people. Traditionally, Medicaid has been available only to those in certain categories: people who receive cash assistance or welfare, members of families with children, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities or those who are aged or blind. In recent years, states have had some opportunities to extend Medicaid services through Medicaid program expansion waivers to populations beyond the traditional groups. Federal financial assistance is provided to states through federal matching payments based on the state’
