Can You Have Medicaid And Health Insurance At The Same Time? 
In the vast majority of situations the answer is no . Medicaid is a state-run insurance program designed to help low income persons pay for their health care . As a general rule you must not be able to afford to pay for private health insurance in order to qualify for Medicaid . However , this is a government program we 're talking about so there are always some exceptions buried in the fine print . This is where things can get complicated and the rules can vary from state to state in some situations . Some state Medicaid programs will assist in paying private insurance premiums for a person who can not fully pay them . A low income person who has recently lost their job and their health insurance through their former job may be eligible for assistance in paying their COBRA premiums in some states . You would have to check with your state 's Medicaid office to learn what the rules are in your particular state . Also , you have a limited amount of time to apply for such assistance after losing your job in states that provide this type of assistance so time is of the essence . Medicaid also has a special program for people diagnosed with AIDS that may qualify them for premium payment assistance . Once again , you will need to check with your state 's Medicaid office to determine what their policies and procedures are for qualifying for such assistance . 