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Other coverage

Having both Medicare and Medicaid

If you have Medicare and full Medicaid, most of your costs are covered. What Medicaid adds, how your drugs are covered, your plan choices, and how to find out if you qualify.

Checked against official sources on October 27, 2026 · How we check facts

Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid programs vary by state and may have their own names, like Medi-Cal or MassHealth.

What you get with full Medicaid

  • Most of your health care costs are covered.
  • Services Medicare doesn't cover or only partly covers, like long-term nursing home care, personal care, rides to medical appointments, home- and community-based services, home-delivered meals, and dental, vision and hearing care.

Your prescriptions

Medicare drug coverage, not Medicaid, covers your prescriptions. You qualify automatically for Extra Help, which keeps drug costs low. Medicaid may still cover some drugs Medicare doesn't.

Your plan choices

  • Original Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • A Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), which coordinates your Medicare and Medicaid. Integrated D-SNPs combine your Medicare and most or all of your Medicaid benefits in one plan; if you have full Medicaid, you may be able to join one from the same insurer as your Medicaid plan.
  • PACE, if you're 55+ and need nursing-home-level care.
  • With Medicaid, you can change your drug coverage once a month; the change starts the first of the next month.

Partial help: Medicare Savings Programs

If you don't qualify for full Medicaid, your state may still pay your Medicare premiums and sometimes your copays through a Medicare Savings Program.

Do you qualify?

Each state sets its own income and resource limits. Call your state Medicaid office; find its phone number and its own rules on your state page.

Common questions

What does Medicaid cover if I have Medicare?

With full Medicaid, most health care costs are covered, plus services Medicare doesn't fully cover, like long-term nursing home care, personal care, rides to appointments, home-delivered meals, and dental, vision and hearing care.

Does Medicaid or Medicare cover my prescriptions?

Medicare drug coverage does. You qualify automatically for Extra Help, and Medicaid may still cover some drugs Medicare doesn't.

Can I have Medicare Advantage and Medicaid?

Yes. Many people choose a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan, which coordinates both programs; integrated D-SNPs combine most or all of your Medicaid benefits in the same plan.

Sources

General information, not advice about a specific plan.