Medicaid is a very complicated area of the law. As an example, the Utah, Ohio and Texas Medicaid rules are approximately 2,500 pages long. These statutes, rules, and regulations change from time to time and are different in each state. The text provided on MedicaidLawyers.com is a simple and general overview and is not intended to replace the advice you receive from the Medicaid Lawyer you retain.

Medicaid is a primary component of health care financial coverage nationally and in every state. With over 44 million Americans receiving Medicaid benefits, the program reaches more people than Medicare or any insurer in the United States. Jointly funded by federal and state governments, Medicaid is the primary source of health and long-term care payment for one out of every seven Americans.

Enacted in 1965 along with the Medicare program, Medicaid has evolved from serving low-income people with complex health problems to becoming a safety net for low-income families, the elderly, and those with chronic disabilities. One of the primary functions of Medicaid is to act as the principal payer for long-term care services in the community and in skilled institutions, allowing for greater access to care for more people, particularly the elderly.

Medicaid is a means-tested, federal-state, individual entitlement program, with extensive financial and non-financial rules for determining eligibility. The Medicaid program's emphasis is on helping certain categories of low-income individuals. Therefore, the eligibility tests tend to focus on income and resource (asset) levels.

Because Medicaid is not a uniform federal program like Medicare, there are substantial variations in eligibility policy from state to state. For legal guidance on the specific laws and rules for Medicaid eligibility in your state, consult a Medicaid Lawyer in your area.