Medicaid

Many people who qualify for Social Security Disability, particularly those who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are also eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income individuals who are in need of medical care. While many Social Security Disability beneficiaries qualify for Medicaid, the program is not restricted to handicapped individuals. Children in need and the elderly may also be eligible.

The program is financed in part by state governments and in part by the federal government. In the majority of states, individuals who qualify for SSI immediately qualify for Medicaid. In these states, your application for SSI doubles as a Medicaid application.

Seven states employ the same eligibility criteria for Medicaid and SSI, but each state has its own application process. Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, Idaho, and Utah are among these states. Medicaid and SSI are likewise administered in similar manner in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Eleven states have their own Medicaid eligibility rules that differ from the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) requirements. Minnesota, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Ohio, Illinois, North Dakota, Indiana, New Hampshire, Missouri, and Virginia are among these states. You must file a separate application in these states. If you reside in one of these states and qualify for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income, this does not guarantee that you will qualify for Medicaid.

The majority of people who qualify for Medicaid do so within one month of receiving Social Security Disability benefits. If you begin working and earn enough money to become ineligible for SSI, you may be able to keep your coverage if your income falls within a range found to be insufficient to pay for other coverage.

While the Social Security Administration oversees Medicaid eligibility, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a subsidiary of the Department of Health and Human Services, administers the health insurance program.