Final answer:
Medicaid is a joint health insurance program funded by both the federal government and states. It provides medical insurance for certain low-income people, including families with children, the elderly, and the disabled. Medicaid covers a variety of services, but the program differs from state to state.
Step-by-step explanation:
Medicaid is a joint health insurance program funded by both the federal government and states. The federal government helps fund Medicaid, but each state administers the program and determines eligibility and benefits. Medicaid provides medical insurance for certain low-income people, including families with children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Medicaid covers a variety of services, including hospital stays, physician fees, and diagnostic services. However, the program differs from state to state, as each state sets its own eligibility requirements and provides varying levels of service. Home health services, skilled nursing facility care, and rural health clinics are optional services that states can choose to provide.
Medicaid also helps cover the costs of nursing home care for older people who cannot afford it. It pays about two-thirds of the costs of nursing home care in the country.