Maryland Medicaid

Maryland Medicaid is the Medical Assistance Program which provides health and long term care coverage to people who fall in the low income category. This program is funded by the federal and state government with the intention of improving the overall health of the weaker section of society as well. At the state level this program is managed by the department of health and mental hygiene and at the federal level it is managed by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services of the US department of health and human services. In the year 2006 around seven hundred thousand people enrolled in this program at a cost of 5.2 billion dollars, out of which hundred and fifteen thousand people received benefits of around hundred and thirty six million dollars.

The criteria of eligibility are determined by the local department of social services and to apply for this service the residents of Maryland have to visit their city department of social services. Here the applicants are interviewed and selected based on various factors such as disability, blindness, and senior citizens over 65 years of age, under age unemployed and others. In the year 2000 about seventy percent of the qualifying Medicare health insurance participants were required to join the state regulated managed care organizations.