Medical Assistance (MA), also known as “Medicaid,” is a public health care program administered by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in partnership with the states. MA is authorized under the federal Social Security Act. Its costs are paid from a combination of state and federal funds. Each state administers its own unique version of the program, providing health care and longterm care services to eligible individuals within parameters established by CMS. The program accounts for about 15 percent of all health spending in the United States, in a given year.