Medicaid Changes for December 2011

Changes to New York’s Medicaid program will take effect in December 2011 in New York City and in January 2012 for upstate residents. The changes are as follows:

–          Children ages 6-18 are now eligible for Medicaid at the same income level as younger children – 133% of the federal poverty limit. The change should decrease the need for families to move their children between Medicaid and Child Health Plus after their sixth birthday. It is viewed as a step in the direction of the simplifications required by the Affordable Care Act.

–          Medicaid recipients receiving Social Security as their only source of income will not need to renew their Medicaid cases, if their resources were below 85% of the Medicaid resource level at the last renewal or at application, whichever was later (the Medicaid resource level is $13,800 for a single person and $20,100 for a couple). SSI-related recipients should receive a notice informing them that their Medicaid coverage will continue unchanged and explaining that they do not need to respond to the mailing unless they have change to report in income, resources, health insurance or residence.

To learn more about New York special needs planning, visit www.littmankrooks.com/special-needs-planning/ or www.specialneedsnewyork.com.