what is the difference between medicare and medicaid?

Answer 1

Medicare = feds
Medicaid = state

Answer 2

Medicare is for either persons 65 or older or handicapped persons who qualify for Medicare. It is overseen by the federal government, and is administered by several regional and local providers (Anthem Insurance covers Indianapolis, for example, as the regional provider). They cover 80% of most medical expenses up to a certain amount, and 100% after that. They are also able to get discounted rates for recipients. They have some strange rules, though. For example, you cannot get both a walker and a wheelchair paid for, since you have to be able to walk to use a walker, and you cannot walk to use a wheelchair. If you need to look up certain medicare rules, go to medicare.gov.

Medicaid is for the poor. It is run by the states, but funded by the feds. It covers 100% of medical expenses, including nursing home expenses (Medicare doesn't cover this, since it's not a type of treatment or aid for a disease or injury). But you have to meet financial guidelines to qualify for it. Indiana has a great form of insurance, though. You can buy a policy that allows you to shelter some assets, so you can keep that much in assets and still qualify for Medicare. The program is also available in a handful of other states.

Answer 3

medicare is a government funded system enacted in the sixties to help the disabled and retired with medical costs. you can go on medicare before the age of sixty five if you have paid into the system and a doctor legally declares you disabled. you can recieve medicare at sixty five but don't necessarily need to be retired. your spouse can use your benefits as well if you've never worked yourself. dont ask me how immigrants who have never paid into the system are eligible.

medicaid is only established if you can prove you have no assets. for example, most nursing homes dont take medicare so you have to basically either hide all your money and assets and your family had to be dirt poor too, then you have to pay until you have nothing else, and then you can apply for medicaid, which is a HUGE process and can take months to be approved. you can have medicaid at any age if you have proof you are poverty stricken

Answer 4

The thing to know about Medicare is that this program is insurance for acute illnesses of older Americans and certain disabled younger Americans. If you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and Part B, bills pertaining to procedures that are deemed "medically necessary" will be paid for because it is insurance.

"Medically necessary" is the most important Medicare term. Medicare will not pay for any procedure or care that is not deemed as necessary for the recovery or rehabilitation from an acute illness of a patient. A lot of people think Medicare will pay
for one's nursing home. Yes, Medicare will pay for limited days of nursing home care that is "medically necessary" after, say, a hip replacement or after a hospitalization for some other health episode. But, if the doctor determines that there will be no further recovery for a person--say someone who just has suffered a stroke and is as good as they are going to every be physically, well, Medicare benefits basically end. Again, Medicare is insurance primarily for acute illnesses--it was not designed to pay for the costs of day-to-day custodial care--services people need to stay healthy like bathing, feeding, toileting, etc.

Many--and I do mean a whole lot of people I know--get Medicare confused with Medicaid. Medicaid is a health insurance program for the poor or "medically indigent." Medicaid is only available to folks who meet rigorous financial guidelines. If one qualifies for Medicaid--and folks at the state level determine this--then costs of the nursing home stay will be paid. Of course, someone pays this cost, because nursing homes have to pay their bills--and that someone is the taxpayers. The costs for nursing home stays are shared by the state government and by the federal government.

There is a lot more to know about Medicare and about Medicaid. You can get information from the CMS website, I'm sure, but my experience is that a lot of the information there is written by bureaucrats--it's often difficult for the average person to decipher. You might consider calling your local area agency on aging. If you live in the United States or one of the territories, there is one serving
your area. You can call toll-free 1-800-677-1116 to find out the one serving you. Each area agency on aging has professionals available to answer questions like this one. You will most likely find the people there friendly and very helpful.

If you do contact your local area agency on aging and like the help that they give you, let your local county officials and your folks in Congress know. Area agencies on aging don't have big budgets for advertising and certainly don't have budgets that support campaign contributions!

Hope this helps! Best wishes!

Answer 5

Medicare is an earned and beneficiary paid for federal medical insurance program. Medicaid is a social obligation of a principality (government) to take care of the poor. Of course dictators like Bush and his followers and supporters and other dictator officials and their followers and supporters do not understand this and/or do understand but don't give a damn about anything but their own greed, which is based on an underlying great fear and insecurity.

Answer 6

Medicare is for old folks on social security. Medicaid is for people who are to poor to have medical insurance.

Answer 7

Medicare (United States) is a publicly funded health insurance program generally for the elderly and disabled.

Medicaid in the United States is a program managed by the states and funded jointly by the states and federal government to provide health insurance for individuals and families with low incomes and resources.

Answer 8

Medicare is health insurance through the Federal
government and Medicaid is health insurance through the
State government.