How Medicare, Medicaid differ

Monday, July 18, 2005

JAMES T. MULDER

HEALTH CARE NOTEBOOK



Q.



What is Medicaid, and how is it different from Medicare?





A.



Medicare and Medicaid are both types of health insurance, but they are not the same.



Medicare is a federal program for people 65 and older and people who are disabled.



Medicaid is for people with low incomes who fit into certain categories. Medicaid is a partnership between the federal and state governments. Medicaid helps low-income people of all ages pay for medical and long-term care such as nursing home care. To qualify for Medicaid, you must meet the income and resource guidelines established by New York state.



Income is money you get from Social Security, a job, pension or other sources. Resources are things you own, such as a savings account. But Medicaid doesn't count everything. Some things such as your home and one car are not counted.



A single person, for example, cannot have monthly income of more than $667 or resources of more than $4,000. For a two-person family, the monthly income limit is $975 and the resources limit is $5,850. For a four-person family, the income limit is $992 and the resource limit is $5,950.