Government-funded Programs: When You Can't Get Health Insurance at Work

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with serious kidney disease. Medicaid provides health coverage for some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, older people, and people with disabilities.

If you, your spouse, or your child’s other parent is or was a military service member, or if your spouse or your child’s parent died or was disabled in the line of duty, you may qualify for a military health coverage program such as TRICARE, CHAMPVA, or VA benefits.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, is government insurance that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. CHIP may be an option for lower income families with children or parents who have cancer.

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer early detection testing to low-income, underserved, under-insured, and uninsured women in the US.