It appears that no one is exempt from the flurry of confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act, least of all Californians who were once ineligible for Medi-cal. ACA lifts previous restrictions for childless adults under the age of 65 with no dependents, effectively including approximately 3,000,000 Californians who were previously ineligible. As long as an individual has an income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, they can now be covered by Medi-Cal. Currently that figure is an annual income of $14,484 which comes out to $1,207 per month.
ACA specifies that states stop basing eligibility on welfare program rules and base it on tax returns. This means replacing an assets test with a somewhat complicated formula called MAGI or modified aggregate income which includes previously non-taxable income and takes into account the household in which the individual resides.
The only people who remain subject to assets tests include those:
- eligible for Medi-cal through other programs such as SSI
- with a disability
- over the age of 65
- in a Medicare savings program
If this sounds confusing, don’t worry you’re not alone. Lucky for you, independent insurance agent, Stacy My Insurance Lady, can help you sort through it. Based in Southern California, She can also supply you with options for individual and group health plans as well as Covered California.