A key element of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid to nearly all individuals with incomes up to 133% with a 5% income disregard of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($11,880 for an individual; $20,160 for a family of three in 2016) in 2014. Medicaid currently provides health coverage for over 60 million individuals, including 1 in 4 children, but low parent eligibility levels and restrictions in eligibility for other adults mean that many low income individuals remain uninsured.
The ACA expands coverage by setting a national Medicaid eligibility floor for nearly all groups. By 2016, Medicaid, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), will cover an additional 17 million individuals, mostly low-income adults, leading to a significant reduction in the number of uninsured people. However, the Medicaid expansion is voluntary for the states. The hyper-links are provided below for further information on Medicaid Expansion.
- Medicaid Expansion Basics
- Medicaid Expansion Indian Specific Provisions
- http://www.medicaid.gov/State-Resource-Center/Eligibility-Enrollment-Final-Rule/Medicaid-CHIP-Eligibility-and-Enrollment-Webinars.html
- http://www.medicaid.gov/AffordableCareAct/Provisions/Eligibility.html