Medicaid Application: A Complete Guide On How To Apply For Medicaid

Life is full of surprises. We do not know what will happen today or tomorrow, which is why we need things that can ensure that we are safe and have something to depend on financially.

Health is the most important thing a person should have no matter how rich or poor they are. If you are not healthy, there is no reason for you to work day and night to make money. Health always comes first before anything else. You should prioritize the health of yourself and your family over anything else because lives matter more than money.

But sometimes, a person is unable to afford health complications because of their low income. This can be alarming because you need something that can ensure your safety. There are so many examples of people choosing not to buy insurance, just because they find it unimportant, to end in financial stress at the time of an emergency.

This is why Medicaid insurance exists. Medicaid insurance is a way of ensuring that your medical bills are affordable enough for you to be able to take care of your health when needed. The insurance plan is made for U.S citizens to ensure that every person gets the best treatment in the town at an affordable price.

You need to apply for a Medicaid application because it is the most convenient step to keep you financially safe from any medical emergency charges or monthly health checkups. For the sake of your health or your family’s health, Medicaid is here to give you the best service in health.

If you want to know more about Medicaid application, here is a complete guide for it:

What is insurance?

Insurance is a contract signed between an insurance company and a person based on certain policies to save the person from being financially in the loss. Insurance consists of benefits and facilities that a signee can avail of.

The insurance consists of a contract that has terms and policies that are set by the government and the insurance company to provide the best treatment for the signee. The more expensive the insurance plan you sign, the more benefits are offered to you.

Furthermore, there are two sectors within the insurance industry. One is public insurance that is handled by the government like Medicaid. The government offers insurance to everyone that they can sign for a lower price. The second is private insurance that is handled by companies and organizations. They cost more than the government ones, but also provide the best facility to the signee.

What is Medicaid insurance?

Medicaid insurance is a program that is launched by the government. It is a health program that gives the opportunity for families and individuals belonging to the lower-income class to get health insurance.

Medicaid insurance is a combined program that is initiated by the government and the states of the United States. The people who can receive this health insurance plan are based on their income. If they lie under a certain range, they can apply through Medicaid application.

Medicaid was basically signed as a law by U.S President Lyndon B. Johnson under the Social Security Act. This insurance program is for anyone who is a legal citizen of America, they can be of any age and any ethnicity.

To add more, Medicaid is a personalized insurance program as it varies from state to state. Every state has the right to put its own policies in the contract that people can sign based on their data analysis of income range and population.

Individual states settle on who fits the bill for the cost of coverage, the sort of coverage, and the method involved with paying medical services laborers and clinics. That is on the grounds that each state is mindful to oversee and control its own Medicaid program. Every state has the right to decide on a certain percentage for coverage they want to keep. States are not needed to take part in Medicaid, albeit everything states do.

Types of Medicaid

Before filling out the Medicaid application, you should know the types of Medicaid for information.

The Medicaid insurance program is divided into three main types that are offered by the government to the individual. A person can choose from those three types based on their preferences and eligibility that is set by the government.

Home and community-based services (HCBS)

The Medicaid insurance program is based on the requirements of the people. This type of Medicaid is offered to individuals who live in a home or in a community. Instead of providing facilities outside, they give assistance directly at a home to the individuals.

They cover the cost of the services to the people through community-based facilities and provide basic healthcare assistance like homemaker services, therapy services, adult day care, case management, skilled nursing care, health promotion, personal healthcare, disease prevention, and hospice care.

People who opt for this type, if they are eligible, they have to spend less money on healthcare and living facilities. It is usually less than half of the residential living cost. To add more, living in the facility, people have the facility to interact with their community through different cultural and educational activities. Furthermore, the person enjoys the convenient small space or home within the community.

But the disadvantage of this type is that in some states, there might be few caregivers. You have to wait for a long time for the providers to take care of you because they have others to take care of as well. Caregivers are not given to each individual personally.

It is always a good choice to plan your finances wisely. This insurance program offers you the financial safety you need in life to have a better standard of living as an individual. This insurance is very important for every person.

Medicaid offers the best services in this regard that you can live in a home-based community by paying a percentage of coverage for you. You can afford those facilities and benefit from the services well.

Aged, blind, and disabled (ABD)

This type of Medicaid insurance program is solely for the aged, blind, disabled people. This program is highly looked upon by the government because the ABD community needs assistance the most in terms of health.

ABD services are really important because they are responsible for the well-being of the person. Medicaid provides all the required services to the aged, blind, and disabled. Aged are people who are more than 65 years old.

They cover cost services such as emergency medical assistance, in-patient and out-patient bills, medical check-ups, lab tests, home health care, nursing facility care, and many more. This is covered by every state. While some states provide some facilities that differ from each other like physical therapy, mental therapy, speech and language disorder services, and personal care services.

It is important for those who have disabilities or fall under the category of ABD to buy Medicaid for the sake of their well-being. Medicaid provides the best treatment and facilities for ABD people to ensure that they live a comfortable life without any financial complications.

If you or you have a family member who is ABD, you have to get the insurance even if your pay is lower than the average health insurance cost. Medicaid offers this program for those who belong to the lower class and cannot afford expensive insurance.

They have given convenient ways to apply for Medicaid application for ABD, so you do not have to worry about the whole process.

Children’s health insurance program (CHIP)

The CHIP is a type of program under Medicaid that is focused on providing healthcare facilities and services to children. The children must come under certain eligibility to be able to benefit from the policies set by the state.

It provides coverage of basic healthcare services that a kid might need for medical assistance like medical checkups, emergency medical services, prescribed drugs, dental care, lab and X-ray cost, and many more based on the state you apply for through Medicaid application.

This type of Medicaid is specifically made for children whose parents earn enough to be able to afford Medicaid but not enough to buy health insurance for their kids.

Children’s health is so important and they need medical check-ups in order to stay healthy and grow up healthy as well. It is the responsibility of the parents to get health insurance for their kids for the sake of their well-being. Medicaid offers the opportunity for the parents to buy their kid’s health insurance that covers the basic requirements needed for a child. The coverage cost can save the parents from any financial loss in case of an emergency because Medicaid pays a certain percentage to make sure that you are able to afford the best treatment.

Who is eligible for Medicaid?

Medicaid has set some eligibility policies for U.S citizens that they should fall under in order to be able to apply for the program. Although every state has its own eligibility, there are some policies that are common in most states of America.

The main criteria for the eligibility for Medicaid application are based on the family or individual income and members in a family. As mentioned before, the Medicaid program is focused on providing assistance to lower-class families and individuals.

Here are some of the criteria for Medicaid:

Income

Income is the first and foremost important part of being eligible to apply for Medicaid application. If your income is higher than the range specified by the state, then you are automatically not eligible to apply.

Every state has a different income range that they define as lower-income, so you have to check the official website in order to find out what your state has mentioned.

Based on the recent Affordable Care Act of 2010, the eligibility for Medicaid insurance for kids should be at least 133% of the FPL, and for adults, it should be equal to or less than 133% of the federal poverty level. This is a requirement set by the government for every state of America.

Age

Age plays an important role in getting Medicaid for an individual or family. If you are looking for Medicaid for your kid, then your kid must be 18 or less than 18 years old to be eligible. But that also depends on the income status of the parents, whether they are eligible for it or not.

For old age, the Medicaid program has set a certain age limit in which they can apply through Medicaid application. A person should be more than 65 years old to be eligible for HCBS insurance.

Family size

In terms of family, if your family falls under the lower-income category, the family size also matters. The age group of each family member and total family members for whom you are applying for Medicaid matter a lot.

Medical condition

Medical conditions play an important role in knowing whether you are eligible to apply or not. Medicaid will ask you about your medical condition because they need to see if you fall under a certain category in their program.

Pregnant women, seniors, or anyone who needs medical treatment is part of a medical condition that decides the criteria for a program.

Is Medicaid worth your money?

A lot of people wonder, is it worth buying Medicaid for yourself or your family? The answer is yes, it is worth every penny you earn.

Health is something that is greater and more essential than wealth. If you are not healthy, you will not be able to earn money as well. When you live your life without any health insurance, you save up by not going to the doctor or getting medical check-ups when needed. This can cause problems later in life when you are unable to work at all.

The Medicaid program is made to ensure that you live a happy and healthy life without worrying about health. Furthermore, because of its low cost and funded by the government, you do not have to pay a huge amount of money, but enough to be able to afford the best treatment in the state.

You need to understand that a healthy life is only through health insurance, and Medicaid is the best program when you are not able to afford private health insurance.

Medicaid health plan

Medicaid, like other insurance companies, offers health plans based on the lower-income family or individual requirements. Every state has made Medicaid health plans that are mentioned on their website.

These plans are specific to every region so you have to read all the policies carefully before you sign. Note that only those who are approved by Medicaid can decide on which health plans to choose. So, you need to apply through a Medicaid application to see the health plans that are best for you.

When picking a plan, you need to ask yourself a few important questions like what kind of medical treatment does the plan cover? Does the health plan include your doctor in it or not? Is it benefiting your family members’ medical condition? What other services does the health plan include? In this way, you will be able to pick the best plan for yourself.

Where do I go to apply for Medicaid?

If you want to apply for Medicaid, you need to see your eligibility first. If you fall under the eligibility set by the individual state and the government, then you are ready to fill the Medicaid application.

There are two ways to apply for Medicaid, you can pick any of the two you prefer:

Medicaid agency

Every state has a Medicaid agency where you can go. These Medicaid agencies help you in doing all the paperwork and also explain to you all the details about the program that you might not know.

If you think that you want to go apply physically, then you can go to a Medicaid agency and fill out the Medicaid application. There is nothing complicated about applying physically because before applying, the agents will inform you of all the details that you need to know about the Medicaid program.

Medicaid application form online

In the age of the internet, everything is available online. Now that you have read this article, you know all the details you need to know about Medicaid application. So you can apply online through the website.

Visit your state’s Medicaid website, as every state has a different Medicaid website, and look for the application tab on the home screen. The website will give you all the details about the required documents that you need to mail or upload as scanned copies with the application. Once you have filled all the required data in the application, you can simply submit and wait for the website to contact you.

This process is easy and takes less time. You do not need to take out time between your work to apply for Medicaid. Online Medicaid application is the easiest way of applying.

For applications, the documents that are required are a birth certificate, income statement, citizenship proof, asset proof, medical history if you are disabled, bills that prove your residence in a certain state where you are applying.

Apply for Medicaid MS

Now that you have read all the details you need to know to apply for a Medicaid application, you can apply for Mississippi (MS) Medicaid.

Medicaid MS can be applied through an online portal website to apply for health insurance for lower-income families or individuals. They have certain criteria for eligibility to apply for Medicaid. You should know about the criteria before applying because if you do not fall under them, then it will be a waste of time and effort.

To apply for Medicaid MS, you have to be a resident in the state of Mississippi, the U.S. You must have a permanent visa for being an American citizen to be eligible for this program. The people who fall under low income or very low income can avail themselves of this program. Furthermore, they can also apply if they are pregnant, have a disability, have a kid less than 18 years old, or are 65 years old or older.

People who are disabled can apply for Medicaid application through their nursing facility directly. Or they can apply online or physically by submitting the form for application.

Medicaid phone number

Medicaid is a nationwide program that is set by the government and individual states for the sake of the safety of U.S citizens. Medicaid is different for every state, so the phone number of every state is different. The state in which you are currently a permanent resident is where you should call for applying to Medicaid.

Some of the states’ Medicaid helpline phone numbers are mentioned as follows:

• New York: (800) 541-2831
• California: (800) 541-5555
• Alabama: (800) 362-1504
• Texas: (800) 925-9126
• New Jersey: (800) 356-1561
• Ohio: (800) 324-8680
• Mississippi: (800) 421-2408
• Colorado: (800) 221-3943
• Arizona: (800) 654-8713
• Florida: (877) 711-3662
• Indiana: (877) 822-7196
• Georgia: (877) 423-4746
• New Mexico: (888) 997-2583

You can find other states’ phone numbers on the website of the states. The phone numbers provided are basic helpline numbers. If you need more specific information, you will have to visit the state’s website from which you reside or wish to apply from.

Any inquiry that you have about Medicaid can be answered through a phone call, or if you do not like talking on a phone call, you can email them. Email them with questions and once they answer you back, you can apply without any inconvenience.

Final Words

Medicaid is a government-approved program. It is one of the largest programs to fund U.S citizens for healthcare services. The government puts a lot of budgets every year for this program because low-income workers also deserve the best health treatment in the country.

Health insurance is a basic necessity that every individual should prioritize in order to stay healthy and happy. Medicaid is an opportunity for those who cannot afford to buy health insurance from private companies that ask for an expensive premium. This program is the cheapest insurance for good health treatment.

Now that you have read the article, you can now fill the Medicaid application and send it to get health insurance. You might think that it is a waste of money, but once there is a medical emergency and you need funds, then you realize that the decision of applying for Medicaid was right.

Instead of regretting it later when you need cost coverage, go for a Medicaid application today!