Healthy Access Database

Assistance for Obtaining Health Coverage

Many Americans need to obtain health care services but may have trouble paying for them. This section provides comprehensive information about all of the major federal and state programs to provide coverage assistance to individuals age 65 and under. It includes specifics and contact information for large-scale programs like Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program and the federal Health Care Tax Credit Program. In addition, this section contains overviews and contacts for the hundreds of smaller state and federal-level and private programs that provide coverage assistance and services to specific populations. This section may be a particularly helpful resource to people with lower incomes who are either uninsured or under-insured, and to people who are looking for either primary care or preventive assistance or help with a serious medical condition, as many of these programs target those groups.

Medicaid
Medicaid is the nation's largest program for providing medical and health-related services to needy individuals. Funded with both federal and state dollars, the program pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with limited incomes and resources. Each state's Medicaid or medical assistance program is different, and the eligibility and income requirements, benefits and cost information for each state are described herein.

State Children's Health Insurance Program
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a state and federally funded program that was started in 1997 to expand access to health insurance coverage for low-income children. The creation of this program allowed the states to offer medical assistance to uninsured children who would not normally qualify for Medicaid due to their family incomes. Children in many families may qualify for benefits, even if they have a working parent(s). Income and eligibility requirements, as well as covered services, parental benefits and other requirements vary widely by state. The specifics of each state's program are included in this section.

Federal Health Care Tax Credit Program
The Federal Health Care Tax Credit Program (HCTC) provides a refundable tax credit to help eligible individuals purchase health insurance from a number of different sources. Eligible individuals are broken down into two basic categories of people. the first group is people who qualify for federal Trade Adjustment Act assistance, because they suffered a job loss due to a trade related event. The second group is individuals who receive pension benefits from the federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. HCTC recipients have to use their tax credit monies to purchase specified types of health insurance policies, in order to qualify for benefits. There are federally mandated options that all are eligible for, and there are also state-specific options that have been developed by many states.

Other State-Based Healthcare Assistance Programs
The individual states, either alone or in conjunction with federal funds, have developed lots of programs to help provide their residents with access to medical care. In addition, some private entities provide assistance on a state-specific basis. Most of these state-level programs are targeted at specific populations or at people with specific health conditions. They serve the uninsured, the under-insured and others in all income groups. Services provided range from free primary care to coverage of specific disease screenings, treatments and medications. The number of these programs and the populations served vary widely by state.

Federally-Funded Community Health Centers Database
Federally-funded community health centers provide millions of Americans with primary health care treatment. This on-line federal database shows where Americans can find these health centers in every state, and what type of services are provided at each.

Other National Health Care Assistance Programs
Many private entities provide Americans with health care assistance on a national basis. In addition, there are other federally financed health care assisatnce projects. These programs provide people with everything from prescription drug purchasing assistance and discounts to low-cost dental visits and eye care.

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