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.
