Medicaid is a vital service for low-income individuals in the United States. While it sometimes gets confused for Medicare, it can offer certain benefits that the former doesn’t. As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to wage war on our country, it’s needed now more than ever.
Now, let’s dive deeper into what Medicaid is, alternative names for it in each state, and eligibility requirements.
What Is Medicaid?
So, what is Medicaid? It’s a joint state and federal program that provides health coverage to over 72.5 million Americans. It’s the largest source of health insurance in the US. There’s no federal age limit for Medicaid, while the same can’t be said for Medicare (it’s usually 65 and older). In addition to health insurance and medical costs, it provides nursing home care and personal care.
Medicaid works in tandem with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Since the creation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, states have been able to expand coverage for nearly all lower-income Americans under 65 years of age.
General Eligibility
Income eligibility is determined through Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). Besides income, there are other non-financial methods of determining whether someone is eligible for Medicaid.
You must be a resident of the state in which you’re applying. You must be a citizen of the United States, or a lawfully present immigrant. Additionally, eligibility varies by state. Some states even boast multiple Medicaid programs. You may be rejected for one program, but qualify for the other.
Medicaid Names for Each State
Medicaid varies from state to state, which you’ll notice when you click on the link available for each state. In addition, some boast alternative names.
| Alabama | No alternative name. Individual resources cannot exceed $2,000 per month. Adults must be between 19 and 64. |
| Alaska | Alternative name: DenaliCare |
| Arizona | Alternative name: Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) |
| Arkansas | No alternative name. You can get full benefits if you’re 65 and older, 19 and younger, blind, disabled, pregnant, and in foster care. |
| California | Alternative name: Medi-Cal. As an individual, you qualify if you make under $17,609 annually. |
| Colorado | Alternative name: Health First Colorado. You must, as an individual, generate only up to $1,415 per month. |
| Connecticut | Alternative name: HuskyHealth There are three separate programs: HUSKY A, HUSKY B, and HUSKY C. |
| Delaware | Alternative name: Diamond State Health Plan (Plus). You may qualify for retro-eligibility. |
| Florida | Alternative name: Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program |
| Georgia | No alternative name. You may qualify if you think you are pregnant, you are a child or teenager, you are age 65 or older, you are legally blind, you have a disability, or you need nursing home care. |
| Hawaii | Alternative name: MedQuest |
| Idaho | No alternative name. As an individual, you must earn no more than $1,482 per month. |
| Illinois | Alternative name: Medical Assistance Program |
| Indiana | Alternative names: Hoosier Healthwise is a health care program for children up to age 19 and pregnant women. You must be 19 and older to apply for the Healthy Indiana Plan as an adult. |
| Iowa | Alternative name: IA Health Link |
| Kansas | Alternative name: KanCare Medical Assistance Program |
| Kentucky | Alternative name: Kynect |
| Louisiana | Alternative name: Bayou Health Healthy Louisiana. Income requirement for an individual adult is $1,482 per month. |
| Maine | Alternative name: MaineCare |
| Maryland | Alternative name: Medical Assistance. Eligible people include low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. |
| Massachusetts | Alternative name: MassHealth which includes both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) |
| Michigan | Alternative name: Medical Assistance or MA |
| Minnesota | Alternative name: Medical Assistance (MA) / MinnesotaCare |
| Mississippi | No current alternative name. Those who may qualify include: Low-income or disabled: infants and children, parents/caretakers of minor children, pregnant women, working disabled, aged/blind/disabled receiving SSI, aged/blind/disabled residing in nursing facility, and emergency services for immigrants (who do not otherwise qualify for Medicaid). |
| Missouri | Alternative name: MO HealthNet |
| Montana | No alternative name. |
| Nebraska | Alternative name: ACCESSNebraska. Check out this brochure of your rights and responsibilities. |
| Nevada | No alternative name. See if you qualify here. |
| New Hampshire | No alternative name. Eligibility for Children, eligibility for Adults |
| New Jersey | Alternative name: New Jersey FamilyCare. To be eligible, you must be a resident of New Jersey, be a U.S. Citizen or qualified alien, and meet specific standards for financial income and resources |
| New Mexico | Alternative name: Centennial Care. Centennial Care services are provided by four managed care organizations and include physical and behavioral health, long-term care, and community benefits. |
| New York | Alternative name: Medicaid Managed Care |
| North Carolina | Alternative name: Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) |
| North Dakota | Alternative name: North Dakota Medicaid Expansion Program. The Expansion of Medicaid gives more individuals access to affordable coverage, preventive services and greater economic security in the event of accidents or illness. |
| Ohio | No alternative name. |
| Oklahoma | Alternative name: SoonerCare. Check out these helpful videos all about SoonerCare. |
| Oregon | Alternative name: Oregon Health Plan. More info here. |
| Pennsylvania | Alternative name: Medical Assistance (MA) |
| Rhode Island | Alternative name: RI Medical Assistance Program |
| South Carolina | Alternative name: Healthy Connections |
| South Dakota | No alternative name. You can apply online. |
| Tennessee | Alternative name: TennCare, which provides healthcare to low-income pregnant women, parents or caretakers of a minor child, children and individuals who are elderly or have a disability. |
| Texas | No alternative name. |
| Utah | No alternative name. This program provides medical services for low-income pregnant women, children, individuals who are elderly or have a disability, and women with breast or cervical cancer. |
| Vermont | Alternative name: Green Mountain Care |
| Virginia | No alternative name. More user-friendly information here.. |
| Washington | Alternative name: Apple Health |
| Washington D.C. | Alternative name: Healthy Families |
| West Virginia | Alternative name: Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) |
| Wisconsin | Alternative name: ForwardHealth / BadgerCare |
| Wyoming | Alternative name: EqualityCare |
Click on the link for each state’s respective Medicaid program to apply. Thankfully, the application process for each state is fairly intuitive. You can start on the road of health care coverage today!
