Final answer:
The federal health insurance that typically pays the least per capita is likely Medicaid, which provides coverage to a large population of low-income individuals with costs shared between federal and state governments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The federal health insurance program pays the least per capita on each patient. The main publicly funded healthcare programs in the United States are Medicare, which serves primarily individuals over sixty-five years old as well as those who meet certain disability criteria, and Medicaid, which assists people with very low incomes. In addition, there are specific government programs for various groups, including the Indian Health Service for Native Americans, the Veterans Health Administration for military veterans, and the Children's Health Insurance Program for children in families with relatively low incomes.
Medicaid was established in 1965 and provides health-care coverage for an estimated fifty million poor and disabled Americans. The federal government pays about half the costs of their medical care, with states covering the remainder. Considering the broad coverage and the cost-sharing between federal and state governments, Medicaid often has tighter budget constraints per capita compared to other programs like Medicare, which targets the elderly population with potentially higher health costs and the Veterans Administration that provides added benefits for military veterans.