Illinois Medicaid - Does Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation count as income? (Mark: low income, health insurance)

[Chi_42]

Hello.

I receive health insurance from Illinois Medicaid. Illinois Medicaid has a maximum monthly income. If a recipient exceeds that maximum income, the recipient is kicked off Illinois Medicaid.

I have been unemployed for a while due to COVID-19. When I work, I am relatively low income. So, if I were to receive regular unemployment insurance, I would receive only $51 per week. However, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) would give me an additional $600 per week. With $651 per week in total unemployment compensation, I would have a monthly income that would exceed the Illinois Medicaid maximum monthly income.

My questions are the following: Would the additional $600 per week, be counted as income by the Illinois government agencies that provide Medicaid? Or would these Illinois government agencies disregard the additional $600 per week (because this money comes from the federal government due to special COVID-19 circumstances)?

I do not want to lose my Medicaid. If that happened, then I would be forced to buy an ObamaCare Marketplace insurance policy ($500 per month, $6000 annual deductible).

Thanks for any information.

[BOBNCHI]

Like state unemployment, the federal unemployment will be considered income. Contact Medicaid for confirmation and how it may affect you. Good luck.

[deeman7]

A lot of requirements have been temporarily waived as a result of the pandemic. Depending on which program you had qualified for, the income requirement may have been temporarily changed. The HFS website should have COVID-19 waivers.

[Chi_42]

Originally Posted by deeman7

A lot of requirements have been temporarily waived as a result of the pandemic. Depending on which program you had qualified for, the income requirement may have been temporarily changed. The HFS website should have COVID-19 waivers.

I believe that I am in the program called "ACA Adults".


Here are the websites that pertain to Illinois Medicaid:

https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/Pages/default.aspx

https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/


I can not find any waivers on those websites.

[deeman7]

That first link you posted literally has a RED link for COVID-19 info with dozens of waivers and announcements.

[Chi_42]

Originally Posted by deeman7

That first link you posted literally has a RED link for COVID-19 info with dozens of waivers and announcements.

I went to that red link, and I was taken to the following page:

https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/Pages/coronavirus.aspx


There were many links on that page, and I dug through those links and found the following link:

https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/Medical...rn200414b.aspx


I went to that link, and I found the following information:

The “CARES Act” also provides that certain individuals collecting unemployment benefits may be eligible to receive an additional $600 as “Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” per week for weeks of unemployment ending on or before July 31, 2020. The monthly equivalent of $2580 in Pandemic Unemployment Compensation will be disregarded when determining countable income for the purpose of Medicaid eligibility.


So, it appears that the additional $600 per week will NOT be counted as income.


This information should have been presented in a more prominent way, and should not have been hidden among a bunch of links.

Anyway, thanks for the responses, everyone.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

I do not want to lose my Medicaid. If that happened, then I would be forced to buy an ObamaCare Marketplace insurance policy ($500 per month, $6000 annual deductible).

Thanks for any information.

Hopefully you will not have to go this route, just filled out the federal app yesterday for kicks.
I want to see how much they come back for, and the federal website makes you list everything; including that $1,200 EI check.
Best wishes on this, as healthcare costs in an election year are now being unfortunately overshadowed by other issues.

[deeman7]

Originally Posted by Chi_42

I went to that red link, and I was taken to the following page:

https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/Pages/coronavirus.aspx


There were many links on that page, and I dug through those links and found the following link:

https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/Medical...rn200414b.aspx


I went to that link, and I found the following information:

The “CARES Act” also provides that certain individuals collecting unemployment benefits may be eligible to receive an additional $600 as “Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” per week for weeks of unemployment ending on or before July 31, 2020. The monthly equivalent of $2580 in Pandemic Unemployment Compensation will be disregarded when determining countable income for the purpose of Medicaid eligibility.


So, it appears that the additional $600 per week will NOT be counted as income.


This information should have been presented in a more prominent way, and should not have been hidden among a bunch of links.

Anyway, thanks for the responses, everyone.

That's the state for ya!