Thursday, February 6, 2014

Illinois Expands Medicaid



Illinois Expands Medicaid
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided incentives for States to expand Medicaid to cover adults never before covered. Illinois responded by passing IL Public Act 98-104 (pdf).  Starting January 1, 2014, a new group Illinois residents, known as “ACA adults” are eligible for Medicaid.  To be eligible for this group, someone must:
·         Be between 19 and 64 years of age;
·         Be a U.S. citizens or have legal status,
·         Not be eligible under a previous Medicaid eligibility group (such as moms & babies, or parent/caretaker), and
·         Have a monthly income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level ($1,321.35 for an individual or $1,783.65 for a couple). 

In addition to expanding coverage, Illinois has made it easier for people to apply for coverage including online through www.ABE.Illinois.gov , over the phone at 1-800-843-6154 or with the help of Navigators trained through the Health Insurance Marketplace program.  A list of Navigators along with screening questions to help someone determine whether they should apply for health coverage through Medicaid or the Health Insurance Marketplace, can be found on the state’s www.GetCoveredIllinois.gov website.  If a consumer has questions about what coverage is right for them, please refer them to that website.

It’s important for someone to apply to the right program because under the ACA, individuals and families who are eligible for minimum essential coverage (MEC) such as Medicare, Medicaid or employer-sponsored coverage will not be eligible for Advanced Premium Tax Credits to buy coverage on the Marketplace.  As a result, it is important to understand that these new ACA adults are likely to be individuals who are young and not yet working in jobs that offer coverage, working adults in-between jobs, or older adults not yet eligible for Medicare, who took early retirement or are out of the workforce.

Currently, Illinois has enrolled 152,000 adults in the ACA adult category, 74,000 of them in Cook County’s CountyCare program.  Through the Medicaid expansion and the requirement that all individuals have health coverage in 2014, Illinois estimates an additional 509,000 individuals will enroll in Medicaid by 2017.

Public Notices regarding the Alternative Benefit Plan for newly eligible ACA adults can be found at the following link: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/PublicInvolvement/PublicNotices/Pages/2013.aspx