Medicare and Medicaid are two government-run programs designed to help people with disabilities meet their financial obligations.
Medicare
Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurance program, and covers nearly 40 million Americans, including those with disabilities under the age of 65.
Medicare comprises two parts: hospital insurance and medical insurance. Hospital insurance helps pay for inpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, and home health services, while medical insurance pays for physician services, outpatient hospital services, medical equipment and supplies, and other heath services.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a program designed to meet the needs of low-income people, and is funded through a state-federal partnership. While there are federal requirements that must be met in order to qualify for Medicaid, individual states set eligibility requirements, determine what benefits and services to cover, and set payment rates.
Medicaid and Medicare: What’s it all mean?
Jason Lazarus, a financial planner from Orlando, FL, explains the differences between Medicaid and Medicare. He also explains how a brain or spinal cord injury survivor can determine if the qualify for either service.
Medicaid and Medicare: Too much income to qualify?
Recovering from a catastrophic brain or spinal cord injury can be very difficult both physically and financially. Few are fortunate enough to have the assets to cover all of the costs of recovery, but some have enough to cover a portion of the cost. Unfortunately, this can be a problem when they apply for Medicaid to cover the remaining portion of expenses, due to the income limits required to qualify for the service.
Contacting Medicare and Medicaid
More information on Medicare and Medicaid, can be found through www.medicare.gov andwww.cms.hhs.gov. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can be reached at 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850; (866) 226-1819.