Whether you want to secure Medicaid benefits to help with health care expenses, in-home care or costs associated with living in a nursing home, it is important to review your options. First, you should look at the eligibility requirements, which differ for those 65 and over. In addition, it is important to go over other criteria used to determine Medicaid eligibility.
Medicaid could serve as a lifeline, but it is crucial to approach the application process correctly in order to increase your chances of approval.
Income and Medicaid eligibility
Medicaid.gov provides information on financial criteria used to determine whether someone can receive Medicaid benefits. For many applicants, the program uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) to determine if someone qualifies for Medicaid. However, for older adults (those 65 and over), eligibility is typically determined using income methodologies from the Social Security Administration’s SSI program.
In addition, Medicaid does not need to review income to determine eligibility for certain people, including those already enrolled in SSI.
Other Medicaid eligibility requirements
On top of financial eligibility, there are other requirements that you need to review if you want to obtain Medicaid benefits. For example, you must have U.S. citizenship or apply as a lawful permanent resident or other qualified non-citizen. Furthermore, you must have residency in the state that provides you with Medicaid benefits.
If you have determined that you qualify for Medicaid as an older adult and you want to submit an application, it is critical to do everything in your power to increase your chances of a successful outcome.