Most people associate Medicaid with the elderly and disabled, but a growing number of Millennials are signing up for the subsidized health care.
Medicaid was originally enacted in 1965 to primarily help the elderly, disabled and low income children, but under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care, roughly 90 percent of all uninsured Millennials qualify for Medicaid, even though they don’t know it.
This little known health care subsidy is particularly helpful to Millennial caregivers who delay college or limit their work to provide fulltime care for their loved ones.
Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the average home caregiver brings in roughly $20 thousand dollars a year, while the average health insurance premium for a Millennial is $486 per month or $5832 a year, according to ADP Research Group. That’s close to 30 percent of their entire take-home revenue going to health care, and that’s before taxes. But under Medicaid, that health care monthly cost can drop to roughly $250/month for Millennials.
The statistics for uninsured Millennials suggests this generation between the ages of 18-34 doesn’t know about this alternative health insurance option.
Roughly 20 percent of all Millennials in New York are uninsured, according to research by our organization, Medicaid Advisory Group. In New York State, 38 percent of all Millennials are already on Medicaid.
But many people still have misconceptions on what Medicaid covers and who is eligible.
A recent survey by Medicaid Advisory Group discovered roughly 1 in 3 New Yorkers wrongly believes that Medicaid retirement funds or savings disqualifies you from Medicaid. That’s actually not true. Retirement funds and savings are exempt from Medicaid when determining a person’s eligibility.
Medicaid Advisory Group advocates on behalf of patients and families who are trying to get Medicaid assistance, but are denied. We frequently hear from families that they are denied from Medicaid, even though they should qualify for this subsidy. There is so much confusion with Medicaid that unfortunately even government case workers don’t know who is eligible and who is not.
The government doesn’t keep track of the national number of Millennials who are on Medicaid, but a cross reference of income, Census data and uninsured people between the ages of 18-34 suggests roughly 22 percent of the US Millennial population doesn’t have health insurance and it’s higher for minorities. About 36 percent of Hispanic Millennials lack health insurance while 27 percent of black Americans don’t have health insurance.
To qualify for Medicaid is truly an individual assessment, but there are some guidelines for Millennial caregivers who have lower income and no health care.
Medicaid coverage varies state-by-state, but the average yearly salary to qualify for Medicaid is $16,243 – so anyone making below this amount annually can generally qualify for coverage. If you are a full time millennial caregiver, you most likely fall into this income group.
You can also find more details on who qualifies for Medicaid, along with a calculator that can help you determine if you are eligible on our website.
By Ginalisa Monterroso, CEO of Medicaid Advisory Group
Ginalisa Monterroso is the Founder and President of Medicaid Advisory Group – a company that represents families in the world of Medicaid. She has more than 20 years of experience consulting, managing, and processing Medicaid eligibility applications for some of the most prestigious nursing homes and medical facilities in the New York and surrounding areas. Keep in touch on Facebook.
This is ridiculous! Encouraging young healthy people to take from Medicare…… what’s WRONG with you??
Are you suggesting full time caregivers don’t deserve health care?
No I didn’t say that, don’t put words in my mouth! I’m sitting here with 2 inoperable brain tumors, and going WITHOUT medical care. I’ve been denied disability 4 times, but my tax dollars are paying for others to get free or subsidized care, while I go without! I’m not saying they don’t deserve health care, but if a healthy able bodied person can get free or reduced cost care, WHY CANT I?? I don’t think telling these millennials the “easy way out” when people are suffering, and dying, because we don’t qualify! My husband’s job gutted their health benefits, when Obamacare kicked in, and he makes just over the qualifying line, for subsidies, so I’ve been going with. Meanwhile, able bodies, young people can decide to stay home, and “say” that are caregivers, just to keep their income low enough to qualify for FREE govt benefits! These people are taking away benefits from people who actually NEED them!! People like ME!
Most people on Medicaid are children. Why do you think illegals come to this country? So they can have a house full of children to qualify for Mediciad and all freebies we taxpayers pay for. People wake up, get a decent job and take care of your children as our parents did. My parents worked hard all their lives to provide for their children with NO government assistance.
I wholeheartedly disagree that retirement funds and savings don’t disqualify you from Medicaid. Otherwise, what’s the point of the 5 year look back period and the spend down requirements?!!? You should be more careful the misinformation you disseminate given your group’s impact on its members.
How can i get my mom on medicaid in Alabama. She is a 61yr old disable that recieve 1381 a mth but we tried 4x and she was denied
Hey Beverly, I wonder if your state or local elected officials might be able to help you. Often they will have staff who can help navigate and assist with the filing process, or they might be able to explain why it is you’re getting denied. Try this link to find out folks who represent you based on your zip code: http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp
Hi Dwight, I’m a social worker at Medicaid Advisory Group. I’m so sorry to hear that you had to spend down so much of your retirement savings. Please feel free to watch this documentary about our clients. https://youtu.be/pFl2rN1N66c
Our website is medicaidadvisorygroup.com. Please feel free to call us to discuss the specifics of your situation.
“Retirement funds and savings are exempt from Medicaid when determining a person’s eligibility.”
Medicaid rules vary from State to State, but not sure where they pulled that one from, as from what I have read there is a couple different formulas used by the States but none that exempt retirement and savings. I had to spenddown half of my IRA/401k to get my Wife on Medicaid (to the tune of 60k as Life Insurance considered an asset too in this State), and she is allowed to have $2,000 in resources total (cash, savings, IRA, etc..) otherwise she can lose her eligibility if she has over that in her name (or accounts with her name on it).