How do you get free medical insurance?

Free medical insurance is granted to those who satisfy the eligibility criteria set by Medicaid, and these criteria include preset requirements for income, residency and immigration status and documentation of U.S. citizenship. Medicaid is a health care program of the United States government that provides free or low-cost insurance coverage to qualified Americans, according to HealthCare.gov. The HealthCare.gov website also has a tool that can be used to determine Medicaid eligibility.

In January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 went into effect and it raised the income eligibility to $29,700 a year, according to Medicaid. In all states, Medicaid provides free or low-cost insurance to low income families, pregnant women, children and the elderly and disabled citizens.

The following shows how to use the tool that determines Medicaid eligibility on the HealthCare.gov website.

1. Visit the website

Type www.healthcare.gov into a web browser

2. Select Get Answers

Bring the mouse over to the "Get Answers" option on the menu bar to display the submenu. Select click on Medicaid & CHIP on the submenu.

3. Select the tool link

On the next webpage, select and click on the "Find out if you qualify..." option on the left hand panel.

4. Use the Medicaid tool

Click on the "Get Started" button on the next page to use the tool.