MA

Medicaid is a program started in 1965 to provide free healthcare for low income seniors and low income individuals of any age with a child or children. It also included pregnant women and people with disabilities. Before Obamacare there were 45 million people on Medicaid and today there are 88 million enrolled in Medicaid including nearly 40 million children. Medicaid used to be free but with Obamacare there are income requirements. Since Medicaid/Obamacare are both federal and state programs they vary in some ways by state. In addition Medicaid pays for nursing home expenses for low income people. In 2023 Medicaid cost the government $890 billion which was more than the defense budget of $860 billion. The number of people uninsured before Obama care was $44 million and today there are still 26 million uninsured. There are two main changes. First single adults are now covered and second some free and others with low monthly premiums and annual deductibles. In MN Medicaid is called Medical Assistance (MA). A single person with income of less than $20,784 qualifies for free healthcare in Minnesota. As their incomes increase they must start to pay out of pocket for a monthly premium and an annual deductible. To find these cost you must apply for MA and they will offer different plans at different cost.