Medicaid is a vital supply of well being and long-term care protection for seniors and other people with disabilities. The Medicaid pathways by which eligibility relies on previous age or incapacity are often known as “non-MAGI” pathways as a result of they don’t use the Modified Adjusted Gross Earnings (MAGI) monetary methodology that applies to pathways for pregnant folks, dad and mom, and youngsters with low incomes. Along with contemplating previous age/incapacity standing and revenue, many non-MAGI pathways even have asset limits.

Practically all non-MAGI pathways are non-obligatory, leading to substantial state variation (Determine 1).  Every group has totally different guidelines about revenue and property, making eligibility complicated. The Appendix offers particulars concerning the main non-MAGI pathways included on this survey, together with pathways accessible to seniors and other people with disabilities usually and pathways restricted to folks utilizing long-term providers and helps (LTSS) in nursing properties or different establishments or locally. This challenge transient presents state-level knowledge on Medicaid monetary eligibility standards and adoption of the foremost non-MAGI pathways as of January 2022. The information had been collected from March via Could 2022 in KFF’s survey of Medicaid state eligibility officers. Total, 50 states and the District of Columbia responded to the survey, although response charges to particular questions diversified. Responses had been supplemented with publicly accessible data the place accessible. The Appendix tables comprise detailed state-level knowledge.

No less than 5 states have adopted new monetary eligibility expansions in non-MAGI pathways that take impact after January 2022. In January 2023, New York will be part of California because the second state to extend the revenue restrict for seniors and other people with disabilities to 138% FPL ($1,563 per thirty days for a person in 2022), the identical restrict as for MAGI populations. New York’s non-MAGI asset limits additionally will improve by about 50% in January 2023 (from $16,800 to $28,134 for a person and from $24,600 to $37,908 for a pair). Between July 2022 and January 2024, California will section within the elimination of asset limits in its pathway for seniors and other people with disabilities as much as 138% FPL and its working folks with disabilities buy-in, putting entry to protection on the identical monetary phrases as MAGI pathways which shouldn’t have an asset restrict. Three different states are adopting adjustments that take impact July 1, 2022:  Connecticut is growing its revenue restrict for seniors and other people with disabilities as much as about 94% FPL; Maryland is eliminating its revenue restrict for the working folks with disabilities buy-in; and Minnesota is growing its revenue restrict for medically needy seniors and other people with disabilities to 100% FPL.

Although many states adopted insurance policies to increase Medicaid eligibility for non-MAGI teams utilizing emergency authorities in the course of the PHE, only a few states reported plans to proceed these insurance policies after the PHE ends. The one coverage that some states plan to proceed is lowering or eliminating premiums. Three states (CA, IL, NH) are planning to proceed lowering or eliminating premiums (relying on state laws in CA and NH), out of the 20 states that reported adopting this coverage utilizing emergency authorities.

Trying forward, Medicaid stays a necessary, and sometimes the only real, supply of medical and LTSS protection for a lot of seniors and nonelderly adults and youngsters with disabilities. Whereas the revenue limits related to the non-MAGI pathways fluctuate amongst states, they typically stay low. Nevertheless, a notable minority of states are adopting non-MAGI monetary eligibility expansions, together with some that undertake the identical monetary eligibility limits that apply to MAGI populations (138% FPL and no asset take a look at). States’ decisions about which pathways to cowl are an necessary baseline from which to watch seniors and other people with disabilities’ entry to protection, together with LTSS.