Medicaid is a jointly-funded state and federal government program that pays for medically necessary services. Medicaid pays for medical services for children and their caretakers, pregnant women, and persons who are disabled, blind or 65 years of age or older. In Illinois, Medicaid is administered by the Department of Public Aid.
State government contributes one-half of the program's cost, the federal government the other half.
Primary services funded through Medicaid are physician, hospital and long term care. Additional coverage includes drugs, medical equipment and transportation, family planning, laboratory tests, x-rays and other medical services. Medicaid is available to anyone who can demonstrate need as established through income and asset standards and either is a child, has dependent children, is pregnant, blind, disabled or age 65 or more. In Fiscal Year 1998, 1.4 million persons a month or 1 in 8 Illinois residents were covered by Medicaid. Many Medicaid recipients have income and assets but still qualify for the program, paying a portion of their medical expenses while Medicaid pays the remainder.