Income too high for Medicaid? ‘Spend down’ to qualify
Making more than the maximum income level for Medicaid isn’t necessarily a deal breaker
By ALEX ROSENBERG of NerdWallet
Published - Sep 13, 2023, 07:03 AM ET
Last Updated - Sep 13, 2023, 09:09 AM EDT
More than 1.4 million people have lost Medicaid coverage in 2023 because they no longer meet the eligibility requirements, according to August tracking data from KFF, a health policy nonprofit.
After a pause on disenrollments during the COVID-19 public health emergency, beneficiaries now must prove that they still meet the income limits for Medicaid. People whose income has gone up risk losing their coverage.
What some beneficiaries might not realize is that even if their income seems too high for Medicaid, they might be able to spend down some income to qualify. For certain beneficiaries, spending on medical bills, including Medicare premiums, can be subtracted from their income when applying for Medicaid.
WHAT IS A MEDICAID SPEND-DOWN?
