• Medicaid coverage is available to low-income Louisiana residents who meet eligibility requirements.Medical care image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
  
  Medicaid is a federal program designed to provide medical benefits to people with low incomes. While the rules for Medicaid programs are created by federal law, each state sets its own requirements to determine a person's eligibility. Louisiana has several criteria to help people with low incomes or disabilities; pregnant women; and children.
  
  

SSI Recipients

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal Social Security benefit that provides monetary payments to people with limited resources who are over 65 years of age, blind, or disabled. Louisiana residents receiving SSI automatically qualify for state Medicaid coverage.
  
  

FITAP Recipients

• Louisiana's Office of Family Support operates the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), designed to provide temporary assistance to pregnant women and to low-income families with children. Recipients of FITAP are automatically eligible to receive state Medicaid benefits.
  
  

Alternative Qualification Criteria

• Under Louisiana's Medicaid program individuals can still qualify for benefits even if they don't receive SSI or participate in the FITAP. To qualify, one or more of the following criteria must be met:
  
  Be a pregnant women;
  
  Be a child under the age of 19;
  
  Be the low-income parent of a child under the age of 19;
  
  Have corrected vision no better than 20/200;
  
  Be a women in need of treatment for breast or cervical cancer;
  
  Meet the Social Security Administration's definition of disabled.
  
  Additionally, certain individuals receiving Medicare may be able to qualify for state Medicaid benefits.