What MediPrimer Is
MediPrimer is a free, independent educational reference that explains how publicly funded and subsidized health coverage works in the United States. We cover Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, the Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA), and CHIP. Our audience includes health-plan professionals, benefits consultants, customer service and operations teams, and members of the public trying to understand the terminology and structure of these programs.
We aim to be clear and practical—helping you understand how eligibility works, what different plan types do, how claims flow through systems, and what rules govern enrollment and coverage.
Who's Behind MediPrimer
MediPrimer is founded and edited by Kurt Hamm, who has spent more than 25 years in enterprise technology — including systems work inside a national Medicaid/Medicare managed-care organization, plus service as a state-agency CIO and as Chief Administrative Officer of a state employment agency. A service-disabled veteran, he built this site to turn confusing, jargon-filled coverage rules into plain-language information anyone can use — with no product to sell and no agenda. Content is compiled from official government sources and reviewed against them. See Editorial Standards for the full picture of how this site is written and fact-checked. We are not medical or legal professionals; this site is educational, and important decisions should be confirmed with the official source and a qualified professional or a free SHIP counselor.
Corrections, and professional or press inquiries: editor@mediprimer.org. (We can't advise on personal coverage situations — your SHIP counselor does that, free.)
What MediPrimer Is NOT
MediPrimer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing CMS, Medicare, Medicaid, any state agency, or any health insurance company. We do not sell or recommend specific insurance plans. We do not provide medical advice, legal advice, or benefits eligibility determinations. We do not collect members' personal information, health data, or demographic details. We are an independent educational resource providing general information only.
About the MediBot Chat Feature (Limited Testing)
Unlike the rest of this site, the optional MediBot chat widget does process what you type. Your question — and the recent back-and-forth in that conversation — is sent to MediPrimer's server, which looks up relevant excerpts from this site and a small set of official government sources, then sends your question and those excerpts to Anthropic's Claude API to generate an answer. MediPrimer's own server does not save, log, or store your questions or answers anywhere — each request is processed and discarded. We ask you not to type personal details, Medicare/Medicaid numbers, or specific health information into the chat. This feature is not covered by the "we collect no personal information" statement above; it's a distinct, clearly-labeled exception, currently limited to internal testing. See our Privacy Policy for more.
How to Use This Site
Start with Coverage Basics for an overview of the major programs and key concepts. Use Plan Types and Operations as reference glossaries when you encounter unfamiliar terminology. Member Journey walks through enrollment, coverage, and claims from a member's perspective. State Medicaid Directory links to state program websites and resources.
Always confirm specific details against official program materials, your own plan documents, and relevant state rules. Program requirements, coverage policies, and eligibility rules change frequently and vary significantly by state and plan.
Written in Plain Language
Plain language is a core principle of this site. Government health coverage is confusing enough without dense, jargon-filled explanations. We aim to write every member-facing page at about an eighth-grade reading level: short sentences, everyday words, and a plain definition the first time a technical term appears. When a page must use an official term, we explain it rather than assume you already know it. Being clear never comes at the expense of being accurate — if plainer wording would change a rule's meaning, we keep it precise.
Sourcing and Accuracy
MediPrimer draws on publicly available materials from CMS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, state Medicaid agencies, and official government insurance portals. We aim to reflect how these programs generally work and link to authoritative sources for detailed guidance.
For our full independence and accuracy standards, see Editorial Standards. Because program rules change frequently and vary by state, jurisdiction, and specific plan, official sources always govern. Use this site as a learning resource, but verify everything that affects real enrollment, claims, or benefits decisions through official channels.
Official Government Resources
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare program information, plan finder, and enrollment
- Medicaid.gov — Federal Medicaid reference and state links
- CMS.gov — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, regulatory and policy details
- HealthCare.gov — Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA), subsidies, and enrollment
- InsureKidsNow.gov — CHIP enrollment and state program information