In my column on Medicaid that was published on our website Friday morning, I wrote:
This caught the eye of one reader, who felt it conveyed the impression that all individuals earning under $12,000 would qualify for Medicaid benefits in all states. As with most things involving healthcare policy, the reality is a bit more complicated, so I thought I’d offer further clarification.
Obamacare raised the income eligibility threshold for Medicaid benefits from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to effectively 138 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2014, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal poverty level for a household of one is $11,670 (hence the “roughly $12,000”), and thus 138 percent of the federal poverty level is $16,104 (i.e. “about $16,000”).
But there are states in which individuals living in poverty without children would not be eligible for Medicaid benefits. For a full breakdown of the eligibility standards of different categories of people in different states, check out this table.
