Medicaid Financial Eligibility: Primary Pathways for the Elderly and People with Disabilities

This issue brief details the various eligibility pathways by which individuals with disabilities and the elderly can qualify for Medicaid coverage. The program, which serves as a safety net for many of the nation’s poorest and sickest individuals, provides health coverage to nearly 60 million Americans, including 8.5 million with disabilities and 8.8 million low-income frail, elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries who rely on Medicaid to fill Medicare’s gaps.

 Issue Brief (.pdf)