Do the Medicaid Work Rules Affect Me After Full Retirement Age?
@wolfmom21fl52 asked:
I was receiving SSDI for a number of years. Last year, I was switched to retirement because I reached my full retirement age. I receive benefits under Medicaid QMB program. Will I be subject to any of the Medicaid work requirements? It has been nearly a year since they switched me to retirement but nothing else changed. TY for any info.
QUICK ANSWER: The new Medicaid work requirement applies to certain adults ages 19 through 64. People age 65 and older are not included in the age group listed in the rule.
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What You Need to Know
The new Medicaid work requirements rule is written to apply to certain adults ages 19 through 64. In other words, the age range listed in the regulation stops at age 64. People age 65 and older are not included in the age group described in the rule.
One reason this topic creates confusion is that “Full Retirement Age” and age 65 are not the same thing. Many people think they happen at the same time, but they do not. Depending on the year a person was born, Full Retirement Age under Social Security can be anywhere from age 66 to age 67. That means some people may reach Full Retirement Age before turning 65, while others may be trying to understand how the Medicaid rule interacts with retirement benefits.
We’ve included a chart of the Social Security Administration’s Full Retirement Ages below.
| Year of Birth | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1943-1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 & After | 67 |
According to the rule, the requirement is aimed at a specific portion of the Medicaid population rather than everyone who receives Medicaid. The regulation focuses on certain working-age adults and includes a number of exceptions, exclusions, and special circumstances. The exact details are contained in the federal rule and in state implementation plans.
The bottom line is that the federal Medicaid work requirement uses an age range that ends at 64. Full Retirement Age is a separate Social Security rule that depends on a person’s year of birth. Because the two rules use different age standards, they should not be treated as the same thing.