Posted on 06/30/2012 6:12:08 PM PDT by Lorianne
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes a long way toward simplifying Medicaid eligibility. Go try and figure it out from the legislative language and you’re not likely to believe me. Fortunately, Joy Johnson Wilson, Health Policy Director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, has done the dirty work. In a handy document Wilson summarizes Medicaid and CHIP provisions in the new law and compares them to current law.
In particular, on page 8 Wilson notes that the ACA “[r]equires states to use a net income standard (no asset or resource test, no income disregards) to determine [Medicaid] eligibility.” Yep, you read that right, bye-bye asset test. Hello simple income test. The new federal income eligibility threshold will be 133% of the federal poverty level (effective 1/1/14).
Essentially, the Medicaid expansion under the ACA will broaden Medicaid eligibility for low-income, non-elderly adults without regard to assets. A major exception for that age group are those with incomes above the threshold but with high out-of-pocket medical costs. Such individuals will be required to spend their assets down to the existing asset limit, which varies by state and is typically a few thousand dollars.
There are a few other caveats. Existing rules, including the asset tests, will continue to apply for individuals obtaining Medicaid eligibility through another program (e.g. foster care children, or SSI/SSDI recipients) and the elderly.
Medicaid qualification just got a whole lot easier (or, rather, it will in 2014).
(Excerpt) Read more at theincidentaleconomist.com ...
The crafters of Obama care (PPACA) were counting on at least HALF of the projected number of newly 'insured' would come from this expansion on Medicaid.
Getting rid of the asset test and creating a new category of non-disabled adults under age 65 would have swelled the rolls on Medicaid.
Now that many States may not adopt the expansion (because the SC ruled they cannot be penalized for not expanding Medicaid) their projected number of newly 'insured' people is in serious jeapardy.
Interesting stuff. The OBVIOUS thing for for someone who has money, but who doesn’t have insurance, is to move to a Blue State if he develops a serious medical condition - and, of course, not work. For someone who has $100k or so saved up, he can live off of that for 2 or 3 years while getting free cancer treatment.
What is the federal poverty level? $11,628 + - ? My mother-in-law was $26 above Medicaid level for any drug assistance. After her husband died, I think her Medicare funds were just enough to keep her over Medicaid.
Watch what they do with the Death Tax.
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Yes.
Or. Move to a blue state, purchase a house, then (with no income) go on SNAP (foodstamps), get free medical care, free fuel assistance, free health care and whatever else is going for free.
Yes.
Or. Move to a blue state, purchase a house, then (with no income) go on SNAP (foodstamps), get free medical care, free fuel assistance, free health care and whatever else is going for free.
no, each state runs its own unique program.
the feds can not set on up.
OK, I admit to being a bit mystified by this. Does this elimination of the Medicaid asset test apply to folks who want to have Medicaid cover their Nursing Home stays? I know that the asset tests for these folks were pretty complicated and had various “look back” tests to determine when (and how much) assets were disposed of. Disposal of assets (e.g., deeding over houses and other assets to children) within these look back periods would result in those assets being “counted” and thus making the person ineligible for Medicaid.
“Or. Move to a blue state, purchase a house, then (with no income) go on SNAP (foodstamps), get free medical care, free fuel assistance, free health care and whatever else is going for free.”
Sounds like a plan to me.
Yes. They have eliminated the asset test is my understanding. That’s Medicaid ... Medicare may be different.
nobama’s obvious purpose is to get as many sheeple as possible dependent on the gov for medical care.
Bless the states that are saying, “Shove this!”
Another gift from Roberts. Obama can’t cover all low income people and those with bad health problems. States that don’t play ball don’t have to change Medicaid thresholds.
I agree, though it’s illogical as hell.
Individuals can be penalized for not doing something but States apparently can’t. :)
If you've got no income and only $2,000 you're not going to survive long and yet, somehow, you're not yet eligible for assistance even if you're been foreclosed. Try renting from that situation.
It might work out for Holder's People.
Yes, this was always the plan but the media, even conservative media, didn't give it the attention it deserves. This is old news and I fault the conservatives in Congress for not doing more to publicize this aspect of Obamacare as the Dems and the liberal media were never going to do it. It's shameful that they're all celebrating reform that dumps millions into a failing program that's a ticking timebomb financially. I wish one of the conservative PACs would do a good ad on this. I'd love to see one that speaks directly to the uninsured who have no idea they're about to be dumped into Medicaid.
The expansion of Medicaid was planned to accommodate the illegal immigrants. After the states were forced to expand their coverage and took the federal money, they would change the rules administratively and require the states to include the illegals. That was the plan which would break the states and make them totally dependent on the feds. A previous example of this kind of activity was when the feds offered one time payments for the states to expand their unemployment payments to include people who would not ordinarily qualify (such as college students, part-time/intermittent employees, etc.). If the states changed their laws and accepted the money, they couldn’t change them back later .... they owned you.
The next step will be a requirement that all physicians in all disciplines licensed by a particular state “must” accept all Medicaid patients or matching federal funds will not be available to the states.
If this were ever to come to the table, I bet the traitor physicians who supported this monstrosity, will be singing a different tune.
I would never ever want to be a Medicaid patient. There are so few physicians that accept Medicaid and especially new Medicaid patients.
I’m glad my dad, who already has Medicare A&B and supplemental insurance, has had his internist and specialists for years. It’s also getting pretty dicey to find physicians who accept Medicare.
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