Get Eligibility for Medicaid
Medicaid is a government health program for the poor that is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Each state has its own Medicaid program and runs its own program. Although being poor is needed to get eligibility for Medicaid, there are other factors as well. Many who have eligibility for Medicaid are also eligible for other social welfare programs as well.
Instructions
1. Use benefits.gov's Medicaid states list (see Resources). Use it to determine the name of your state Medicaid program and the Website for the state Medicaid program. On benefits.gov, there is general information about the state's Medicaid Website and sometimes general information on apply.
2. Go to the state Medicaid website and review the eligibility for Medicaid requirements for the state's Medicaid program. The eligibility requirements vary from state to state, which necessitates looking up the state's specific Medicaid requirements. Some of the requirements include household size, disability, age, income, asset, and state residency requirements.
3. Find the local address and phone number for the local social services agency that can handle Medicaid from the state Medicaid website found in the previous step.
4. Call the local social services office for a Medicaid application and intake appointment even if there is a Medicaid application via mail or phone option. The reason for an intake appointment is because if one is eligible for Medicaid, there is a high probability that the social worker can find other government aid programs one is eligible for as well, such as SSI, Medicare, food stamps, social security disability, and children's health care.
5. Fill out the state Medicaid application and assemble written proof of eligibility which may include proof of income, tax returns, and other similar written information. Submit the entire Medicaid application package back to the social worker or follow the application instructions on submit the entire Medicaid application package.
6. If eligible for Medicare, apply for it as well. According to the federal government, millions of Medicaid recipients are also eligible for Medicare. Get Medicare eligibility and application information from the same social worker found in the previous steps or visit Medicare's website (link in the Resources section below). If eligible for Medicare, this will make the applicant "Medicare dual eligible", which has the benefit of having full health care paid completely by both the federal and state government through Medicare and Medicaid.
7. After approval for Medicaid is granted, review the available Medicaid health and dental options and pick one to enroll in. This information will come in the mail from the state Medicaid agency. Contact a social worker or the state's Medicaid website if more information is needed. A state specific Medicaid health plan ID will come in the mail after enrollment that's used at hospitals and clinic to verify Medicaid eligibility.
Tags: state Medicaid, Medicaid application, Medicaid program, social worker, state Medicaid program, eligibility Medicaid, eligible Medicare
