The government-run health insurance program for low income individuals and their families in the United States is called Medicaid. It is administered by the states working through a component of the Department of Health and Human Services called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Funding for the program comes from joint state and federal contributions. Eligible individuals include low-income parents and their children, senior citizens, and disabled individuals. The program represents the largest source of funding in the U.S. for health-related and medical needs for low-income citizens.

The Medicaid program was created on July 30, 1965 through an amendment to the Social Security Act known as Title XIX. Each individual state assigns its own name to the program with examples being "Medi-Cal" in California, "TennCare" in Tennessee, and "MassHealth" in Massachusetts. Participation in the program is voluntary for the states but all states have been participating members since 1982 when Arizona joined the program.

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