To qualify for Medicaid in California, you must meet specific requirements. Here are a few examples: Age, Disability, and Income. Each of these factors will determine whether you are eligible for Medi-Cal. Your family’s size will also determine whether you are eligible.
Income
If you want to get Medicaid benefits, you must meet specific California Medicaid requirements. Your household income must be less than 138% of the federal poverty level. This applies to both single people and families. If you don’t work, your income may be higher, but you can still qualify for Medicaid.
You can also qualify for State Supplementary Payment (SSI), a program that provides additional income to disabled adults. This program also pays adult children and spouses to care for their elderly parents.
Assets
If you live in California, then you may be worried about the asset requirements for Medicaid. While no federal law prohibits you from owning certain types of assets, Medicaid rules do have some exceptions. If you own a car and plan on using it for work, you may be able to sell it and qualify. However, if you have a second vehicle, you must ensure that it is an antique or classic model at least 25 years old. In addition, if you are married, you will have to share your assets with your spouse.
For most people, assets will be a big concern, but there are ways around the issue. One of the most critical aspects of determining whether you qualify for Medicaid is your number of assets. Many states have asset limits that will keep you from qualifying for a higher level of assistance. One example is the amount of money you have in a bank account. Your bank account must be at least $1,500 in value. If you have an additional property, you may be able to exempt it from the asset test if it is an essential property. However, the rules change from state to state.
Age
If you plan on qualifying for Medicaid in California, you must make sure you meet the age requirements. The criteria are different for different programs, and California has several paths to becoming eligible. You can also take the Medicaid Eligibility Test to find out if you are eligible.
Income is also essential. You can qualify for Medi-Cal based on your income alone, or you can be eligible based on the number of people in your household. Generally, you cannot earn more than thirteen8% of the federal poverty level.
Disability
To qualify for California Medicaid, you must have a qualifying disability that keeps you from working. It would help if you also were unable to work for at least eight consecutive days. In some cases, this means that you must have lost wages. Otherwise, you must have been employed or actively seeking work for at least 300 hours during the base period. Additionally, it would help if you were under the care of a licensed physician or accredited religious practitioner. You must maintain this type of care to continue receiving benefits.
Undocumented Immigrants
Undocumented immigrants qualify for California Medicaid, the state’s health insurance program for low-income adults. The state and the federal government fund this program. Although the federal government won’t provide health insurance to people living in the country illegally, some states have made up for the lack of funding by using their tax dollars to help low-income immigrants pay for their medical care. Now, California wants to become the first state to provide health insurance to all immigrants, regardless of their immigration status.
The expansion of Medi-Cal to undocumented immigrants is expected to cut the number of uninsured residents by the most significant number in a decade. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the expansion would cost $2.6 billion annually and cover more than 700,000 people. This expansion would cover nearly half of the state’s uninsured population, currently over three million people.