{"slug":"medicaid-vs-medicare","question":"Medicaid vs Medicare","answer":"Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65+ and certain younger individuals with disabilities, funded through payroll taxes. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program for low-income individuals and families, with eligibility and benefits varying by state.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Medicare is age-based (65+) and federally standardized. Medicaid is income-based and state-administered. Some people qualify for both ('dual eligibles'). Medicare covers more seniors; Medicaid covers more total enrollees including children and low-income adults.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Eligibility","entityAValue":"Income-based","entityBValue":"Age-based (65+)","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Premiums","entityAValue":"Little to none","entityBValue":"$174.70+/month (Part B)","winner":"a"},{"label":"Long-term Care","entityAValue":"Covered","entityBValue":"Not covered","winner":"a"},{"label":"Provider Network","entityAValue":"Smaller (state-dependent)","entityBValue":"Large nationwide","winner":"b"},{"label":"Enrollment","entityAValue":"Any time","entityBValue":"Annual enrollment periods","winner":"a"}],"winner":{"slug":"medicaid","name":"Medicaid"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Medicaid","slug":"medicaid","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/medicaid","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/medicaid"},{"name":"Medicare","slug":"medicare","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/medicare","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/medicare"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Can you have both Medicaid and Medicare?","answer":"Yes. About 12 million Americans are 'dual eligibles' who qualify for both programs. Medicaid can help cover Medicare premiums, deductibles, and services Medicare doesn't cover like long-term care."},{"question":"What is the income limit for Medicaid in 2026?","answer":"In states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, the limit is 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (about $20,783/year for an individual). Non-expansion states have lower limits that vary significantly."},{"question":"Does Medicare cover nursing home care?","answer":"Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, but it does NOT cover long-term custodial nursing home care. Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term nursing home stays."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare), Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65+ and certain younger individuals with disabilities, funded through payroll taxes. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program for low-income ","dateModified":"2026-03-15T00:00:00.000Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/medicaid-vs-medicare","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/medicaid-vs-medicare","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/medicaid-vs-medicare","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Medicaid vs Medicare","reviewBody":"Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65+ and certain younger individuals with disabilities, funded through payroll taxes. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program for low-income individuals and families, with eligibility and benefits varying by state.","datePublished":"2025-06-01T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-03-15T00:00:00Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","name":"Medicaid vs Medicare","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}