Medicaid, a joint federal and state program which provides health care coverage for low-income individuals and families; pregnant women; and aged, blind, and disabled people, provided health coverage for an estimated million children aged 2 through 18 in federal fiscal year 2005. 12 The states operate their Medicaid programs within broad federal requirements and may contract with managed care organizations to provide Medicaid benefits or use other forms of managed care, when approved by CMS. CMS estimates that as of June 30, 2006, about 65 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries received benefits through some form of managed care. 13 State Medicaid.
