Health · Chapter 13 · Classes of Health Insurance
Private vs Government (Social) Insurance
Definition
Most health coverage is bought from private insurers — commercial companies, service providers, provider groups, plus self-insured employers and associations. Government (social insurance) programs: Medicare (federal — seniors and the severely disabled), Medicaid (jointly funded federal/state, state-administered — low-income individuals meeting financial eligibility), and Social Security (disability insurance for those unable to be gainfully employed). The ACA created health insurance exchanges — run by a state or, where the state declines (as Florida does), by the federal government (HealthCare.gov) — where only qualified health plans (QHPs) may be sold.
In plain English
Private = you or your employer buys it. Social insurance = a government program you qualify for.
Exam tip
Medicare = FEDERAL/seniors · Medicaid = JOINT federal-state, states administer, income-based. Don't let the similar names blur together.
Easy to confuse with
These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.
Related terms