Medical Disability Assistance

State governments administer Medicaid insurance to help low-income individuals pay for health insurance. Individuals may have to pay a small fraction or co-pay for medical treatment, but the significant portion of the medical bill is government-subsidized.

Identification

• For a disabled individual to qualify for Medicaid assistance, he must be eligible to receive services. Eligibility depends upon the individual's total available resources including cash and property. Only U.S. citizens and lawful alien residents are eligible to receive Medicaid.

Considerations

• Medicaid income limits vary across states. Limitations for minors depend on whether a disabled child lives at home without paying for rent and food. Limits also depend on whether an individual lives in a dependent care facility or group home with other disabled adults. Since laws frequently change, this information should not substitute for legal advice. Individuals must seek an attorney's advice licensed to practice in their jurisdiction.

Size

• Medicaid typically pays for healthcare services and mental health services. It helps defray the cost of medical care that is distinct to each individual's disabling mental or physical impairment. It may cover long-term hospital or other in-patient services in an institutional setting, as well as outpatient physical therapy, doctor's visits, dental, vision or prescription drug costs. Medicaid insurance is the largest provider of funds for mental health treatment in the United States; Medicaid provided $241 billion dollars of health care funding in 2006, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.