How to Qualify for Medicaid And the Standards Set By the State of Kansas

For practical reasons, the only health insurance plan in the US that seeks long-term institutional care is Medicaid. The inability to pay on their own or being covered by other insurance policies may make a person eligible for Medicaid.

Medicaid is a type of insurance program created for needy, low-income people. This type of insurance offers health-related coverage for children, elderly persons or people who have disabilities. This insurance program is funded jointly by all 50 states, the federal government and the District of Columbia.

Every state has its own Medicaid program while a federal agency called as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services supervises the programs in different states and create the standards on how the programs are financed and managed.

Statistics says that over 58 million Americans or around 1/5 of the population are registered in a Medicaid program. Since the program is full of benefits for low-income people, a lot of them will ask how to qualify for Medicaid.

Although Medicaid and Medicare sound alike, they are actually different programs. One distinction is that all retirees who are enjoying Social Security benefits will also have Medicare as their health insurance.

Medicaid is different in such a way that it is a form of welfare. Meaning, if you want to know how to qualify for Medicaid, you have to be impoverished first according to the program’s standards.

Also, Medicare is completely run by the federal government while Medicaid is run jointly by the government and each state. In order for a state to receive funding from the government, the state’s system should conform to the federal standards. The federal government usually pays around 50% of the costs while the rest goes to the state.

Because of this fact, the question on how to qualify for Medicaid is rather complicated to answer since the qualifications vary from state to state.

Here are the federal requirements for Medicaid

It is required by the federal government that every state must cover specific mandatory groups in the Medicaid program. These mandatory groups includes children, very low-income parents, pregnant women, people who have disabilities or are blind, and the elderly.

The requirement for each group is different according to income. Here are some examples.

Children below 6 years old with family income below and up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level are qualified.

Children with ages 6-19 with family income below or up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level are qualified.

Pregnant women who have a family income below and up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level are also eligible.

However, how is federal poverty level determined? At the start of every year, the federal government determines the official income level to be considered as the poverty line.

This amount pertains to the minimum annual income that a person or family requires such that they are able to give the basic needs of a person such as food, shelter and clothing.

The actual amount varies each year and differs according to the number of family members. This federal poverty level is important in determining a person’s eligibility for insurance programs such as Medicaid.

How to Qualify for Medicaid in Kansas

All US states including Kansas supervises a Medicaid program for their residents. Unlike Medicare, where the federal government provides the funds, Medicaid costs are divided by the government and the state.

In the US, Medicaid is known as the greatest provider of children’s health care and is also said to provide for low-income families, disabled and elderly people.

Even if the federal government has their own guidelines, the state of Kansas also has its own set of qualifications for the applicant of the said program. Kansas manages its own Medicaid program with the help of KHPS or Kansas Health Policy Authority and its very own HealthWave program.

How to Qualify for Medicaid in Kansas: Children

All children of Kansas residents can qualify, but must be below 19 years old in order to become eligible for the Medicaid program. A child could be a qualified alien or a US citizen. Although there are asset or resource criteria, household income standards are required.

Even though states have to follow minimum federal poverty level guidelines, some of them offer higher income limits to accommodate more poor people. However, Kansas follows strictly the determined federal poverty level. For children, the income limit increases accordingly for every additional qualifying child.

Pregnant women

A pregnant woman should a resident of Kansas and must have the intention of staying in Kansas. She should also be a qualified alien or a US citizen. She should be able to confirm her status and give identification. There is no asset information that is needed.

A pregnant woman’s family size is confirmed by including the unborn child, the father (in case she is living with him) and the woman.

If the pregnant woman is a minor, her parents will be included. For a pregnant woman and her unborn child, the monthly income limit is $1822, for a household with 3 family members the limit is $2289, for a family of four the limit is $2757.

The combined unearned and earned income of the pregnant woman, the father and the parents income (if the woman is a minor) are included. Also included in determining the family income are unemployment benefits, wages, VA payments and social security benefits.

Caregivers and Parents

For caregivers and/or parents, the same residency eligibility requirements apply as with pregnant women and children. Families having children of minor age are qualified or guardians/relatives who take care of the children.

The single asset criteria are trust funds owned by a family member. This is considered as a source of income when considering income limits. The family size and the location of the residence within Kansas affect the amount of assistance.

Elderly Persons and People with Disabilities

Kansas offers plenty of programs to help disabled people and senior citizens. In order to qualify, one must be 65 years old or older.

Asset limits are followed for all plans but there are plenty of exemptions such as your primary home, burial arrangements, one car and furniture and other household items. Other assets such as bank accounts, insurance policies are also included in counting income limit.