While many working Americans are provided adequate health insurance through their employers, there is another segment of the population that lives with little or even no coverage. This second group is made up of people from all walks of life whose income is limited, including parents, children, pregnant women, seniors, and those with disabilities. How does this often neglected demographic receive vital health care? Most times, it is through the Medicaid program.

Could applying for Medicaid be a viable option in your life? In this article, we'll give you the tools and resources needed to answer that question and simplify the process.

What is Medicaid? In a nutshell, it is a federal/state joint funded program designed to extend health care to a broad group of people. While the federal government sets the basic rules and guidelines for all Medicaid services, it is the responsibility of each individual state to operate their own program. For this reason, eligibility requirements vary from state to state.

With this information in mind, your first step to applying for Medicaid should be learning your state's eligibility demands. This can be done by calling your local Medicaid office or visiting your state's Medicaid Web site.

Let's assume that you are eligible for Medicaid. What do you need to do next?

For starters, make sure that you bring all important documents and information with you when applying for Medicaid. The following are all examples of what your application will require:

Having this information handy will make the application process smoother, and will increase your chances of being accepted.

What if you are close to (or over) the financial cut-off -- but wish to receive Medicaid benefits anyway? The best advice is to let the state decide your fate by providing true and accurate information. Attempting to gain Medicaid benefits through fraudulent means is not a smart move. Many people have tried (and failed) in this regard, and it only ends up costing them major money and jail time.

Once you have completed the application process, the only thing left to do is wait. It can often take up to 90 days for a state to make a coverage decision, which can be frustrating. However, many states allow coverage to become retroactive for a time prior to application (again, this is unique to each state - so be sure to check for your own state's policy).

While complicated on the surface, the process of applying for Medicaid can be made much easier by following the steps recommended above.

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