Rising Long-Term Care Costs Leave Elderly and Disabled to Rely on Medicaid

Most people know Medicaid as the public funded health insurance program for low-income people. But what many people don’t realize is that Medicaid also covers most long-term care for the elderly. Though elderly and disabled people make up only 12 percent of Medicaid recipients, they receive nearly half of the funds allocated to the program, according to data released by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. In the special Be Well series on Medicaid in Northeast Ohio, reporter Lecia Bushak explores the role of Medicaid through the eyes of two local nursing home residents.