Understanding Medicaid: A Guide to State-Funded Healthcare Assistance

Medicaid is a state-funded program designed to assist state residents with low incomes. Benefits pay for medical care, prescriptions, and nursing home or other living arrangements. Benefits are paid directly to the vendor, not to the resident.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact your state's Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Ask for information on Medicaid for your state or a referral to the AAA office where the person needing benefits resides.

• 2

  Ask your family elder's nursing home caregiver or social worker for the name of the home's Medicaid contact. Many nursing homes have a Medicaid claims handler assigned to their facility.

• 3

  Check out the official U.S. Health and Human Services Medicaid website for an overview of general Medicaid regulations (see Resources below).

• 4

  Visit your state's Health and Human Services Commission website (see Resources below).

• 5

  Contact your local state legislature representative or senator for assistance in finding information on Medicaid programs or to resolve difficulties with your state's Medicaid providers.