Final answer:
Eligibility for government-funded health insurance programs like Medicare requires being at least 65 years old and fully insured. Medicaid eligibility has expanded to include more Americans, and health reforms now protect against discrimination for preexisting conditions and extend dependent coverage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The requirements to be eligible for government-funded health care such as Medicare generally include being at least 65 years old and having contributed to the system through payroll taxes, hence being 'fully insured'. Medicare provides health insurance to those over 65, covering essential medical needs.
For younger individuals, other health-care programs exist, such as Medicaid which is expanding to a wider demographic, including able-bodied adults earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, as per recent health coverage legislation.
Government-funded health-care programs also exist for specific groups, such as military veterans and children from families with relatively low incomes.
The recent expansions of such programs aim to provide health insurance for millions of previously uninsured Americans, ensuring that preexisting conditions are not a barrier to obtaining coverage and extending the age children can stay on their parents' insurance to 26 years old.