Search Frequenty Asked Questions

The following describes information about Medicaid eligibility.

States have some discretion in determining which groups their Medicaid programs will cover and the financial criteria for Medicaid eligibility. To be eligible for Federal funds, States are required to provide Medicaid coverage for most individuals who receive Federally assisted income maintenance payments, as well as for related groups not receiving cash payments. Some examples of the mandatory Medicaid eligibility groups are:

• Low income families with children, as described in Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, who meet certain of the eligibility requirements in the State's AFDC plan in effect on July 16, 1996;
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients (or in States using more restrictive criteria--aged, blind, and disabled individuals who meet criteria which are more restrictive than those of the SSI program and which were in place in the State's approved Medicaid plan as of January 1, 1972);
• infants born to Medicaid-eligible pregnant women. Medicaid eligibility must continue throughout the first year of life so long as the infant remains in the mother's household and she remains eligible, or would be eligible if she were still pregnant;
• children under age 6 and pregnant women whose family income is at or below 133 percent of the Federal poverty level. (The minimum mandatory income level for pregnant women and infants in certain States may be higher than 133 percent, if as of certain dates the State had established a higher percentage for covering those groups.) States are required to extend Medicaid eligibility until age 19 to all children born after September 30, 1983(or such earlier date as the State may choose) in families with incomes at or below the Federal poverty level. This phases in coverage, so that by the year 2002, all poor children under age 19 will be covered. Once eligibility is established, pregnant women remain eligible for Medicaid through the end of the calendar month in which the 60th day after the end of the pregnancy falls, regardless of any change in family income. States are not required to have a resource test for these poverty level related groups. However, any resource test imposed can be no more restrictive than that of the AFDC program for infants and children and the SSI program for pregnant women;
• recipients of adoption assistance and foster care under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act;
• certain Medicare beneficiaries (described later); and
• special protected groups who may keep Medicaid for a period of time. Examples are: persons who lose SSI payments due to earnings from work or increased Social Security benefits; and families who are provided 6 to 12 months of Medicaid coverage following loss of eligibility under Section 1931 due to earnings, or 4 months of Medicaid coverage following loss of eligibility under Section 1931 due to an increase in child or spousal support.

States also have the option to provide Medicaid coverage for other "categorically needy" groups. These optional groups share characteristics of the mandatory groups, but the eligibility criteria are somewhat more liberally defined. Examples of the optional groups that States may cover as categorically needy (and for which they will receive Federal matching funds) under the Medicaid program are:

• infants up to age one and pregnant women not covered under the mandatory rules whose family income is below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level (the percentage to be set by each State);
• optional targeted low income children;
• certain aged, blind, or disabled adults who have incomes above those requiring mandatory coverage, but below the Federal poverty level;
• children under age 21 who meet income and resources requirements for AFDC, but who otherwise are not eligible for AFDC;
• institutionalized individuals with income and resources below specified limits;
• persons who would be eligible if institutionalized but are receiving care under home and community-based services waivers;
• recipients of State supplementary payments; and
• TB-infected persons who would be financially eligible for Medicaid at the SSI level (only for TB-related ambulatory services and TB drugs)
• low-income, uninsured women screened and diagnosed through a Center's for Disease Control and Prevention's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and determined to be in need of treatment for breast or cervical cancer.

Medically Needy Eligibility Groups

The option to have a "medically needy" program allows States to extend Medicaid eligibility to additional qualified persons who may have too much income to qualify under the mandatory or optional categorically needy groups. This option allows them to "spend down" to Medicaid eligibility by incurring medical and/or remedial care expenses to offset their excess income, thereby reducing it to a level below the maximum allowed by that State's Medicaid plan. States may also allow families to establish eligibility as medically needy by paying monthly premiums to the State in an amount equal to the difference between family income (reduced by unpaid expenses, if any, incurred for medical care in previous months) and the income eligibility standard.

Eligibility for the medically needy program does not have to be as extensive as the categorically needy program. However, States which elect to include the medically needy under their plans are required to include certain children under age 18 and pregnant women who, except for income and resources, would be eligible as categorically needy. They may choose to provide coverage to other medically needy persons: aged, blind, and/or disabled persons; certain relatives of children deprived of parental support and care; and certain other financially eligible children up to age 21. In 1995, there were 40 medically needy programs which provided at least some services to recipients.

Amplification on Medicaid Eligibility

Coverage may start retroactive to any or all of the 3 months prior to application, if the individual would have been eligible during the retroactive period. Coverage generally stops at the end of the month in which a person's circumstances change. Most States have additional "State-only" programs to provide medical assistance for specified poor persons who do not qualify for the Medicaid program. No Federal funds are provided for State-only programs.

Medicaid does not provide medical assistance for all poor persons. Even under the broadest provisions of the Federal statute (except for emergency services for certain persons), the Medicaid program does not provide health care services, even for very poor persons, unless they are in one of the groups designated above. Low income is only one test for Medicaid eligibility; assets and resources are also tested against established thresholds. As noted earlier, categorically needy persons who are eligible for Medicaid may or may not also receive cash assistance from the TANF program or from the SSI program. Medically needy persons who would be categorically eligible except for income or assets may become eligible for Medicaid solely because of excessive medical expenses.

States may use more liberal income and resources methodologies to determine Medicaid eligibility for certain AFDC-related and aged, blind, and disabled individuals under sections 1902(r)(2) and 1931 of the Social Security Act. For some groups, the more liberal income methodologies cannot result in the individual's income exceeding the limits prescribed for Federal matching.

Significant changes were made in the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (MCCA) of 1988 which affected Medicaid. Although much of the MCCA was repealed, the portions affecting Medicaid remain in effect. The law also accelerated Medicaid eligibility for some nursing home patients by protecting assets for the institutionalized person's spouse at home at the time of the initial eligibility determination after institutionalization. Before an institutionalized person's monthly income is used to pay for the cost of institutional care, a minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance is deducted from the institutionalized spouse's income to bring the income of the community spouse up to a moderate level.

Medicaid - Medicare Relationship

The Medicare program (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act) provides hospital insurance (HI), also known as Part A coverage, and supplementary medical insurance (SMI), also known as Part B coverage. Coverage for HI is automatic for persons aged 65 and older (and for certain disabled persons) who have insured status under Social Security or Railroad Retirement. Coverage for HI may be purchased by individuals who do not have insured status through the payment of monthly Part A premiums. Coverage for SMI also requires payment of monthly premiums.

Medicare beneficiaries who have low income and limited resources may receive help paying for their out-of-pocket medical expenses from their State Medicaid program. There are various benefits available to "dual eligibles" who are entitled to Medicare and are eligible for some type of Medicaid benefit.

For persons who are eligible for full Medicaid coverage, the Medicaid program supplements Medicare coverage by providing services and supplies that are available under their State's Medicaid program. Services that are covered by both programs will be paid first by Medicare and the difference by Medicaid, up to the State's payment limit. Medicaid also covers additional services (e.g., nursing facility care beyond the 100 day limit covered by Medicare, prescription drugs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids).

Limited Medicaid benefits are also available to pay for out-of-pocket Medicare cost-sharing expenses for certain other Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicaid program will assume their Medicare payment liability if they qualify. Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMBs), with resources at or below twice the standard allowed under the SSI program and income at or below 100% of the Federal poverty level (FPL), do not have to pay their monthly Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance. Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (SLMBs), with resources at or below twice the standard allowed under the SSI program and income exceeding the QMB level, but less than 120% of the FPL, do not have to pay the monthly Medicare Part B premiums. Qualifying Individuals (QIs), who are not otherwise eligible for full Medicaid benefits and with resources at or below twice the standard allowed under the SSI program, will get help with all or a small part of their monthly Medicare Part B premiums, depending upon whether their income exceeds the SLMB level, but is less than 135% of the FPL, or their income is at least 135%, but less than 175% of the FPL.

Individuals who were receiving Medicare due to disability, but have lost entitlement to Medicare benefits because they returned to work, may purchase Part A of Medicare. If the individual has income below 200% of the FPL and resources at or below twice the standard allowed under the SSI program, and they are not otherwise eligible for Medicaid benefits, they may qualify to have Medicaid pay their monthly Medicare Part A premiums as Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWIs).

For Additional Information:

Eligibility requirements for Medicaid benefits vary for each State. Please see our list of State Medicaid toll-free phone numbers (PDF 101KB) to contact your State Medicaid officials for more information.