How to Apply
- To apply for Iowa Medicaid health coverage, please visit the HHS Benefits Portal or fill out a paper application form and turn it into your local HHS office.
- Para solicitar la cobertura de salud de Medicaid de Iowa, visite el Portal de beneficios del HHS o complete un formulario de solicitud en papel y entréguelo en su oficina local del HHS.
Mission and Vision
Mission: Iowa Medicaid is committed to ensuring that all members have equitable access to high quality services that promote dignity, barriers are removed to increase health engagement, and whole person health is improved across populations.
Vision: Iowa Medicaid works diligently to operate a fiscally responsible and sustainable program that improves the lives of its members through effective internal and external collaboration, innovative solutions to identified challenges and data driven program improvement.
- View the Iowa Medicaid Strategic Plan
What is Medicaid?
Iowa Medicaid provides health coverage to over 700,000 Iowans every year, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, older adults and people with disabilities.
Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements. The program is funded jointly by states and the federal government.
Iowa Medicaid is a collection of specific units, each having an area of expertise, and all working together to accomplish the goals of the Medicaid program.
What is the Difference Between Medicaid and Medicare?
Medicaid
Medicaid is a healthcare program that both the federal government and each state work together to run. It helps out people who have low income or have disabilities by paying for some of their medical expenses.
The government has some basic rules that all states must follow for Medicaid, but each state also has its own way of doing things. This means that who can get help and what kind of help they can get might be different from one state to another.
Medicaid can help pay for things that regular Medicare usually doesn't cover, like taking care of people in nursing homes and helping with personal care. If you have Medicaid, you don't usually have to pay for most of your medical bills. But sometimes, you might have to pay a small amount for certain things.
Medicare
Medicare is health insurance from the federal government, but it's mainly for people who are 65 years old or older. It also helps some younger people who have certain disabilities or health issues. The people who make sure Medicare works are in charge of something called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Medicare doesn't change depending on where you live in the country. No matter which state you call home, you can get the same Medicare benefits and costs.
Medicare gets its money from two special savings accounts managed by the U.S. Treasury. It collects money from different places, like taxes taken out of paychecks and funds that Congress gives permission for. People with Medicare also pay some of the costs. This means they might pay some money every month for medical and drug coverage, plus some extra costs when they get medical help.
If you want to learn more, you can check out Medicare.gov.