Left Before the Deadline*

Don't Wait

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period

(855) 760-2227

Medicare Advantage Plans

Starting At $0/ Month

Just give us a little information,
and find out if you have $0 Premium Plans in your area.

How Does Medicaid Help People With Low Income

An unexpected emergency, even regular medical care can cost thousands of dollars, leaving many people without the finances to get the care they deserve. How does Medicaid help people pay medical bills? A state and federally-funded health insurance program, Medicaid is designed to help low-income adults, children, pregnant women, and seniors get the medical care they need. To be eligible for benefits, recipients must meet the required income level and family size. If you are interested in learning more about Medicaid assistance, here is some information that can help.

Eligibility

Currently, Medicaid provides health coverage to over 70 million seniors, children, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. Income-based eligibility is determined using the federal poverty level, which is updated annually. Since 2014, when the Affordable Care Act passed, Medicaid eligibility has expanded. However, in addition to placing income requirements on recipients, states may charge enrollees a premium, along with copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance for receiving benefits. Children and pregnant women are excluded from many of these fees, but all applicants must meet state and federal requirements concerning residency, immigration status, and documentation of U.S. citizenship.

What Does Medicaid Cover? 

While Medicaid benefits vary from state to state, each state must meet certain mandatory federal minimum requirements. In general, the program pays for basic inpatient and outpatient hospital services, nursing and home health care, laboratory and x-ray services, pediatric care, and necessary medical equipment.

Many states have expanded the mandatory federal minimums to include benefits for physical, occupational, and speech therapy, optometry, podiatry, dental and vision care, chiropractic services, hospice care, and more. Often, benefits are provided through Medicaid that is not covered by Original Medicare, such as personal care and homemaker services. In some cases, Medicaid covers out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare, like premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance.

Medicaid and Medicare– Dual Enrollment  

Dual eligibility in both Medicaid and Medicare is common, and millions of seniors receive benefits from both programs. As a Medicare recipient with low income, Medicaid may be able to help pay for out-of-pocket expenses associated with Original Medicare. In addition, Medicaid often covers treatment and services not typically covered by Medicare, such as prescription drugs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids. If you qualify for Medicaid benefits, you may be eligible to receive retroactive coverage that can help pay for medical debts you incurred up to three months prior to applying.

 

References:

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chip-program-information/by-topics/eligibility/seniors-and-medicare-and-medicaid-enrollees.html

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chip-program-information/by-topics/cost-sharing/cost-sharing.html

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chip-program-information/by-topics/eligibility/eligibility.html

MUC16-2016-BCBS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Testimonial Jenn, Thank you for helping me with this, what I thought was a confusing task, you have made it simple and very pleasant. You are an excellent professional. Once again, you are absolutely the best. Thank you for making it so easy and solving a very unsettled status in my life.” S. Randall, Refugio
Testimonial With Jenn’s help, I found a plan that was perfect for my wife and I retirement needs and saved us money from what we had been paying. Thank you for always answering our questions, calls and emails. C. Richards, Houston
Testimonial Lesli’s professional manner and her ability to explain the policy to me made my decision to select a supplemental policy for my retirement an easy one. I would highly recommend her to my friends. Thank you Ronald Hornburg, Cypress

Latest News

Read all the news

Why Choose Consumers Direct Insurance Services of Texas?

Looking for a unique and genuine insurance experience? We’re here to help! We know that dealing with insurance isn’t always…
Read more

Medicare Part A and B Explained

Like most seniors, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Medicare – you may even know that it’s a federally…
Read more

Is Medicare a Advantage Good Deal?

Medicare Advantage (MA or Part C), is a popular alternative to traditional Medicare. Since 2010, enrollment increased by 71 percent,…
Read more

Medicare Readiness Checklist

9 to 12 months before you turn 65 Confirm that you are eligible to receive Medicare benefits by calling the Social Security…
Read more

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period – 5 Questions and Answers

The annual Enrollment Period (AEP), is the one time of year when you can make changes to an existing Medicare…
Read more