Under Medicaid, does each state have the same criteria for eligibility?

Under Medicaid, each state has the flexibility to establish its own eligibility criteria, which explains why the correct answer is that each state has its own criteria. While Medicaid is a federal program, it is administered at the state level, allowing states to tailor their specific requirements based on factors such as income, family size, and other resources. This state-level discretion means that what qualifies an individual for Medicaid in one state may differ significantly from the standards in another state, leading to variations in coverage and eligibility among different populations.

Federal regulations do set certain minimum standards that states must adhere to, but beyond these minimums, states can expand their programs and set their criteria as they see fit. This results in a patchwork of Medicaid programs across the country, contributing to disparities in access to healthcare services for low-income residents.