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Ohio Medicare & Medicaid

Both Medicare and Medicaid were created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Social Security Act of 1965. The programs have other similarities as well. They are both national health care programs potentially open to any citizen or legal immigrant of the United States, and they both provide coverage for a number of different health services. But Medicare and Medicaid are different in many ways as well. In Ohio, Medicaid and some aspects of Medicare are under the under the supervision of the Department of Job and Family Services.

  1. Eligibility

    • Medicare is primarily open to individuals aged 65 or older. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits, you may be eligible for Medicare before 65. Medicaid is only open to certain groups of low-income people. In Ohio, Medicaid is for minor children, pregnant women, the blind, the disabled, senior citizens and women with breast or cervical cancer. You must also be a resident of Ohio to receive Ohio Medicaid. Some people, such as seniors with disabilities or very low incomes, may be dual eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

    Application

    • If you already receive Social Security benefits, the Social Security Administration will enroll you in Medicare automatically when you turn 65. If you are not, you need to enroll yourself by contacting the SSA when you approach your 65th birthday. Medicaid is state-administered, so you will need to apply through your local Ohio Department of Job and Family Services office. Ohio has different Medicaid applications for different populations, available through the Ohio.Gov website. To apply for Medicaid, you will also need to provide documentation of your income, assets, citizenship, age, disability or pregnancy.

    Benefits

    • Medicare and Medicaid each have their own sets of benefits. Original Medicare offers coverage for home health, hospice, inpatient and outpatient hospital care and preventive services. Ohio Medicaid provides a larger number of services to all users, which include family planning, vision, dental, prescription drugs, nursing facility care, X-rays and lab work.

    Costs

    • Medicare services are not free. Medicare comes with a number of co-payments, premiums and deductibles. Though many people receive Part A without premiums, Part B requires a monthly payment, as do all other parts of Medicare. The deductibles and co-payments for Medicare services add up quickly, although eligible Medicare beneficiaries in Ohio may receive help from the sate Medicare Premium Assistance Program. Ohio Medicaid, however, has few costs. As of 2011, dental services had a co-pay of only $3, brand-name medications required $2, eye exams were $2 and eyeglass fittings $1.

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