Medicaid

When she ran out completely, there would be Medicaid.

There are alternatives for your wife and your kids: CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a joint federal and state program for children in low-income families who don’t qualify for Medicaid, is one such option.

Insurers are piling into Special Needs Plans, which serve chronically ill, frail or dual-eligible patients who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

The solid third-quarter results appear to have been driven by the company’s Medicaid medical-loss ratio, which tracks the proportion of premiums paid out to cover medical expenses.

“If somebody has very low income and high-cost medical, that can push that into Medicaid, or a special-needs plan,” she said.