This primer provides an overview of the basic components of Medicaid, the nation's largest health coverage program, which covers 59 million low-income individuals, including children and families, people with disabilities and the elderly who are also covered by Medicare. Medicaid is also the dominant source of the country’s long-term care financing.

The primer examines how the program is structured, who it covers, what services it provides, and how much it costs. Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments, and the states administer the program within broad federal guidelines. As a result, programs vary across states. The updated primer includes tables examining the state-to-state variation in eligibility, enrollment, and spending for Medicaid enrollees.

 Primer (.pdf)

Previous Versions:

 March 2007 (.pdf)

 July 2005 (.pdf)