Repealing the three-day requirement would require action from Congress. But at least with the right to appeal, you have a fighting chance.
California Eases Medicaid Qualifications
In a second promising development, California is eliminating wealth limits for older people trying to qualify for Medicaid, and other states are considering similar steps.
Medicaid, the state and federal program that provides health care to the poor and people with disabilities, and also pays for long-term care in nursing homes and at home, sets strict caps on recipients’ assets. In most states, if you’re over age 65, you can’t accumulate more than $2,000 in assets, or $3,000 for a couple (usually with a home and a car exempt).
“It leaves people living in very deep poverty,” unable to save for emergencies or even modest spending, said Amber Christ, director of health care policy and advocate for Justice in Aging. “If you go over the limit by a dollar, you lose eligibility.”
California will abolish this ceiling in two steps. In July, the wealth limit rises to $130,000 for an individual and another $65,000 for each family member. In July 2024, the state will abolish capital limits altogether. If you are elderly or disabled, you are eligible for Medi-Cal (as California calls the Medicaid program) if your income does not exceed 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The state estimates that approximately 17,000 residents are newly eligible.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has included a similar measure in her proposed state budget, eliminating wealth limits effective January 1, 2023; the state legislature will consider the budget in March. Arizona eliminated power limits in 2001, though not for long-term care, and other states are investigating the approach, Ms. Christ said.
One catch: This year, 138 percent of the federal poverty level equates to an annual income of $17,774. Medi-Cal recipients should still be poor, but less poor than before, and will be better able to hold onto their health insurance.
