Working with Seniors: Health, Financial, and Social Issues

Chapter 20: Medicaid and Seniors

Medicaid is the country’s health care safety net and the biggest financer of long-term care in the United States. The federal and state governments finance Medicaid jointly, and the states administer it. The program pays medical costs when individuals cannot.

This chapter covers the eligibility criteria and benefits of Medicaid. You understand Medicaid basics, including the requirements and consequences for many seniors when they must spend down their assets to qualify for Medicaid.