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jointly funded by the states and federal government and is managed by the states. Medicaid was created on July 30, 1965, and is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited resources. Medicaid is available to individuals and families who meet certain eligibility requirements approved by federal and state law. Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are eligible low- income parents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Medicaid is administered by each state, and each state sets its own guidelines regarding eligibility and services provided while the Federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services monitors the programs and establishes requirements for services, quality, funding, and eligi- bility standards. States can determine their own names for their state programs. State participation in Medicaid is voluntary; however, all states have participated since 1982. In some states, Medicaid is subcon- tracted to private health insurance companies, while other states pay providers (i.e., doctors, clinics, and hospitals) directly.
Medicaid makes payments directly to your doctors or other healthcare providers rather than sending the money to you and then having you send it to your doctor. Your state may require that you pay a small co- payment for some medical services but this is generally very low.
Federal Resources for Health Care Coverage