The U.S. government health insurance program that covers low-income individuals and families is Medicaid.
Medicaid is a jointly funded federal-state program providing health coverage to eligible people with limited income and resources. States administer their own programs within federal requirements, so eligibility rules, covered services, and enrollment pathways can differ from state to state. Covered groups commonly include children, pregnant women, parents, disabled people, and some older adults.
Congress created Medicaid through the Social Security Amendments of 1965, the same legislation that established Medicare. The programs are often confused: Medicare is primarily associated with older adults and certain disabled people, while Medicaid is means-tested and can cover long-term services such as nursing-home care. Some people qualify for both.
The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, offered states an expansion pathway for many adults with incomes up to roughly 138% of the federal poverty level. Because the Supreme Court made that expansion optional for states, a person’s eligibility can still depend heavily on where they live. CHIP is a separate program aimed mainly at children in families whose income is too high for Medicaid but too low for affordable private coverage.