For those that meet certain conditions, there are low-cost, federally sponsored health insurance programs that exist to help you meet your medical needs. 

Medicare
Medicare is a national health insurance program for individuals over the age of 65. Disabled individuals under the age of 65, and those with permanent kidney failure or Lou Gehrig's disease are also eligible for Medicare benefits. If you are over the age of 65, but still working, you are still eligible to receive Medicare benefits. 

Due to the way Medicare is structured, some people find it confusing. 

First of all, you apply for Medicare at the Social Security Administration, even through The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administers the program. 

Medicare is structured into four parts: 

• Part A - Hospital Insurance. This will help to pay for inpatient care in a hospital, or following a hospitalization, care at a skilled nursing facility. It will also cover some health care and hospice care.
• Part B - Medical Insurance. This will assist in paying for visits to physicians.
• Part C - Medicare Advantage. This was formerly known as Medicare + Choice. This allows people utilizing the services of both Parts A and B to receive all of the health care services through private insurance organizations such as an FFS, HMO or PPO plan.
• Part D - Prescription drug coverage. Assist in alleviating the costs of medical prescriptions.
  

Premiums for Medicare can vary, depending upon your work history. For detailed information on Medicare benefits, please visit the official Medicare website. 

Medicaid
Despite the common confusion, Medicaid and Medicare are two distinctly different federal health programs. 

Medicaid is jointly funded by federal and state governments. It exists in order to provide assistance to low-income individuals and families that meet certain eligibility requirements. Eligibility is based on income levels, citizen status and other factors which may vary by state. Medicaid sends money directly to health care providers, yet depending on your state, you may be responsible for a small co-payment. 

Medicaid is available for people falling into certain low-income categories which include:

• Pregnant Women
• Children and Teenagers
• Seniors over the age of 65
• Blind
• Disabled
  

For further information on Medicaid, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human resources website for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.