Starting next month, January 2023, Medicaid eligibility requirements for New Yorkers age 65+ and people with disabilities will dramatically expand.
Applications for Medicaid filed after January 1, 2023 will be evaluated under significantly higher income and asset limits, allowing more people to benefit from these programs. A first, undocumented immigrants above 65 will also qualify for Medicaid.
KEY CHANGES
The eligibility threshold for Medicaid income will rise from 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 138% (the FPL itself is expected to be updated and increase in 2023).
The income threshold will increase from $934/month to $1,563/month for a single person and from $1,367/month to $2,106/month for couples applying for Medicaid.
This drastic increase will allow applicants to keep more income and will lower their spend-down or funding of a pooled income trust (or completely void the need for one if their income is below the new threshold).
Additionally, the asset limit for Medicaid will drastically increase from $16,800 to $28,133 for a single person and from $24,600 to $37,902 for a couple. This means that applicants can have more assets in their name and continue to remain eligible for Medicaid.
More changes will be made to the Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities Program, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program, Qualifying Individual (QI) Program, and several others.
Furthermore, undocumented immigrants age 65+ will qualify for full Medicaid benefits.
Medicaid has already begun sending out notices to recipients with guidance on how to request a budget review before the next Medicaid renewal and after January 1, 2023. Those enrolled in pooled income trusts or contributing their spend-down to Managed Long-Term Care health plans (MLTCs) should review the notices and contact us for any assistance.
---
While these are all tremendous and helpful changes, it's important to remember that the new 30-month lookback for Community Medicaid will likely begin for individuals applying for Medicaid in the first half of 2024. Therefore, if you or your loved ones may need community Medicaid assistance within the next year, we still urge you to contact us and begin the application process as soon as possible.
For any questions or assistance, contact us.
