Had A Conversation With Covered CA/MediCal Tonight - Very Encouraging

[stopbush]

I'm trying to apply for the ACA here in CA. I'm currently out of work, so we only have my wife's part-time income coming in. We're basically getting by by cashing in investments if needed.

Because of our low income stream, my application for Obamacare in CA was automatically sent to the MediCal division. My discussions with them ended up with MediCal saying we weren't eligible for MediCal because we have too many assets (you can't have over $3300 in assets to qualify for MediCal).

So, our MediCal app got denied. Called Covered CA today and spoke with Kevin, who informed me that as of January, MediCal is expanding and that they are dropping the "asset test" part of the application. In other words, eligibility will now be based solely on monthly income.

Kevin sent me over to an upper-level MediCal specialist who spent 30 minutes on the phone with me and reopened our MediCal app. All I need do is return some forms he's sending with documentation showing my wife's income, our assets, bank accounts and, well, that's it.

My daughter - who is 16 - will probably qualify for MediCal immediately. My wife, my son and I will probably qualify on 1/1/14 when the MediCal expansion goes live.

Not a bad stop gap until I get a job and we have an income stream that allows us to buy Obamacare. MediCal is free, and it sure beats the COBRA we were on, which covered almost nothing but cost us around $400 a month before it ran out in September. Better some kind of insurance, rather than none.

Another good story about Obamacare!

[lostincalifornia]

1. in addition, the income/assets should be based/estimated for 2014, not 2013, at least that is what I

was told

[stopbush]

2. Yes. That's how it's based.

If you find a job or have a change in your income, you must report it to MediCal. You may lose MediCal, but then you get to upgrade to an Obamacare plan that offers more.

By removing the assets test, you no longer have to spend your bank account or sell stuff to get down to a level where your assets are decimated just to qualify for MediCal. That's one of the "options" MediCal offers in the paperwork they originally sent me.

[lostincalifornia]

4. yes, or I think if the estimate was too much or too little it could also get reconciled in the tax

return

[Hoyt]

3. Good news. Now if other states would expand Medicaid, a bunch of people would get similar coverage.

[Thinkingabout]

5. I think it is time to start protesting at the capitals where they have not expanded.