Medicare is federally funded...there are two parts to it (well now three)
part A which is free and pays for hospitalizations, nursing home care and in-home nursing if needed
part B is the part that everyone has to pay a small payment out of their SSDI check for each month..usually like 85.00 dollars I think. This pays for doctor visits and such but it has co-payments, and deductibles to it just like regular insurance does.
Now there is a Part D to Medicare and that is the prescription coverage and they havent quite worked out all the kinks yet...so I am told. But you also pay every month for this too, and have co-payments on your meds as well.
Medicaid is a state run program and is generated from state and federal tax dollars. There are several states in the US that dont have a medicaid program though...Like here in Missouri where I live our governer has passed a bill saying that our Medicaid program will end in 2008. Anyway, If you are lucky to get both medicare and medicaid and then medicaid will pay for pretty much of everything that medicare doesnt...you just may have to pay a few dollars for prescriptions. In that case I wouldnt sign up for Part D on Medicare (depending on where you stand on medicaid) as you may be able to save yourselves 90.00 a month. This is why it is important to find out where medicaid is at and what is going on. Perhaps your disability lawyer can point you in the right direction?