{"slug":"medicaid-vs-medicare","title":"Medicaid vs Medicare","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","faqCount":5,"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."},{"question":"At what age do you qualify for Medicare?","answer":"Most people qualify at age 65. You can also qualify under 65 if you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), ALS, or have received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months."},{"question":"Which program covers more people?","answer":"Medicaid covers more total enrollees (93 million vs 66 million) because it includes children, pregnant women, and low-income adults. Medicare spending is higher because per-beneficiary costs are greater for the older population."}],"faqPageSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#faq","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Medicaid vs Medicare — FAQ","description":"Frequently asked questions about Medicaid vs Medicare","dateModified":"2026-03-15T00:00:00.000Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"isPartOf":{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#article"},"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#faq-speakable","cssSelector":[".faq-answer"]},"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#q1","name":"Can you have both Medicaid and Medicare?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#a1","text":"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.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#q2","name":"What is the income limit for Medicaid in 2026?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#a2","text":"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.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#q3","name":"Does Medicare cover nursing home care?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#a3","text":"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.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#q4","name":"At what age do you qualify for Medicare?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#a4","text":"Most people qualify at age 65. You can also qualify under 65 if you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), ALS, or have received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#q5","name":"Which program covers more people?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare#a5","text":"Medicaid covers more total enrollees (93 million vs 66 million) because it includes children, pregnant women, and low-income adults. Medicare spending is higher because per-beneficiary costs are greater for the older population.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/medicaid-vs-medicare","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}}]}}