A Medicaid primer

By far the largest portion of the poor—nearly 43 percent—are covered through Medicaid. Not quite 16 percent have private coverage or are insured through the military’s program of coverage, CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services). Another 12.5 percent are covered through Medicare. Nearly 29 percent have no insurance coverage at all. Among the near-poor, the proportion without coverage is nearly as great—28 percent; of those covered, far fewer fall under Medicaid, far more have private insurance. Within these two income groups, young children (under 6 years of age) are the most likely to be covered by Medicaid (64 percent), young adults the least likely to be covered; while 42 percent of people aged between 19 and 44 are without health insurance.