The Census Bureau broadly
classifies health insurance coverage as either Private (non-government)
coverage or Government-sponsored coverage.
Private
Health Insurance
Private health insurance is
coverage by a health plan provided through an employer or union or purchased by
an individual from a private health insurance company.
Employment-based
plans
Employment-based health insurance is coverage offered through one’s own
employment or a relative’s. It may be
offered by an employer or by a union.
Direct-purchase
plans
Direct-purchase
health insurance is coverage though a plan purchased by an individual from a
private company.
Government
Health Insurance
Government health insurance
includes plans funded by governments as the federal, state, or local level. The
major categories of government health insurance are medicare, medicaid, the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), military health care, state
plans, and the Indian Health Service.
Medicare
Medicare
is the Federal program which helps pay health care costs for people 65 and
older and for certain people under 65 with long-term disabilities.
Medicaid
Medicaid
is a program administered at the state level, which provides medical assistance
to the needy. Families with dependent children, the aged, blind, and disabled
who are in financial need are eligible for Medicaid. It may be known by
different names in different states.
SCHIP
SCHIP, the State
Children’s Health Insurance Program, is a program administered at the state
level, providing health care to low-income children whose parents do not
qualify for Medicaid. SCHIP may be known by different names in different
states
Military
health care
Military
health care includes TRICARE/CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program of
the Uniformed Services) and CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs), as well as care provided by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).
TRICARE/CHAMPUS
TRICARE
or CHAMPUS is a military health care program for active duty and retired
members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors.
CHAMPVA
CHAMPVA
is a medical program through which the Department of Veterans Affairs helps pay
the cost of medical services for eligible veterans, veteran‘s dependents, and
survivors of veterans.
VA
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides medical
assistance to eligible veterans of the Armed Forces.
State-specific
plan
Some
states have their own health insurance programs for low-income uninsured
individuals. These health plans may be
known by different names in different states.
Indian
Health Service*
Indian
Health Service (IHS) is a health care program through which the Department of
Health and Human Services provides medical assistance to eligible American
Indians at IHS facilities. In addition,
the IHS helps pay the cost of selected health care services provided at non-IHS
facilities.
