Medicaid pays medical bills for Georgia residents who meet the criteria.
The Medicaid program in Georgia helps low-income residents with medical bills they would not otherwise be able to afford. To ensure benefits go only to the needy, the state sets income limits for all applicants after making certain deductions from an applicant's gross income. Other requirements involve age, citizenship and conditions such as pregnancy or disability.
Basics
Medicaid-eligible groups, depending on their income and other factors, include pregnant women, children and teenagers, the elderly, blind and disabled, families receiving welfare benefits and women with breast cancer or cervical cancer. Different Medicaid programs are available for each group, with different income standards applying to each program based on federal or state law.
Low Income
The Low Income Medicaid program is for impoverished families, some of whom may also be receiving cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. It is available to families with children under age 18. In 2011, these families qualify if their income limits were in line with the limits for the former federal welfare program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Limits are $5,088 per year for a family of three and $6,000 per year for a family of four, with the limits rising for each additional household member.
Right From the Start
The Right from the Start program is for mothers in the immediate aftermath of childbirth, and for their children until age 19. The income limits are a percentage of the federal poverty level and become more restrictive as the child gets older. For pregnant women and newborns, the limit is 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The limits fall to 185 percent of federal poverty for children under age 1, to 133 percent of federal poverty for children ages 1 to 5, and to 100 percent of federal poverty for children ages 6 to 19. In 2011, 100 percent of federal poverty means $1,526 per month for a household of three and $1,838 for a household of four.
Medically Needy
The Medically Needy program allows pregnant women and children, as well as the elderly and disabled, to qualify for partial benefits if they do not meet income limits. This program requires recipients to pay the portion of their medical bills that is the difference between their income and the income limit for their category as established by the state. For an assistance unit of three kids, for example, the monthly income limit is $375. If the family's income is $2,875 per month, the family would owe the first $2,500 of any medical bill. Medicaid then would cover the rest. This program is the equivalent of a deductible in a private insurance policy.
Elderly, Blind and Disabled
Georgia residents who are 65 and older, or blind or disabled, may automatically receive Medicaid benefits if they qualify for Supplemental Security Income. Those in nursing homes, hospice or community care settings may receive Medicaid if their income is no more than $2,022 per month as of 2011. Medicaid also pays Medicare premiums, co-pays and deductibles for qualified Medicare beneficiaries whose income is no more than 100 percent of federal poverty.
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