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Is ACA Medicaid expansion the same thing as long-term care Medicaid for seniors?

No. New York fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, covering adults 19-64 up to 138% of the federal poverty level with no as

Quick answer

No. New York fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, covering adults 19-64 up to 138% of the federal poverty level with no asset test. Long-term care Medicaid for seniors uses a completely separate pathway -- the non-MAGI aged/blind/disabled test -- which is asset-tested and has its own spousal protection rules.

HomeQuestionsIs ACA Medicaid expansion the same thing as long-ter
Answer

No. New York fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, covering adults 19-64 up to 138% of the federal poverty level with no asset test. Long-term care Medicaid for seniors uses a completely separate pathway -- the non-MAGI aged/blind/disabled test -- which is asset-tested and has its own spousal protection rules.

The detail behind the program

This distinction trips up families who hear that New York "expanded Medicaid" and assume that automatically covers a parent's assisted living or nursing home costs. It does not. The ACA expansion population and the long-term-care Medicaid population go through entirely different eligibility determinations, administered under different rules.

A senior applying for long-term care Medicaid in New York needs to qualify under the non-MAGI aged/blind/disabled pathway, which looks at both income and countable assets, and involves its own spousal impoverishment protections (Community Spouse Resource Allowance, Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance) that do not exist in the ACA expansion pathway at all. Confirm which pathway applies before assuming Medicaid coverage exists.

Related questions

Questions families ask

Is ACA Medicaid expansion the same thing as long-term care Medicaid for seniors?

No. New York fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, covering adults 19-64 up to 138% of the federal poverty level with no asset test. Long-term care Medicaid for seniors uses a completely separate pathway -- the non-MAGI aged/blind/disabled test -- which is asset-tested and has its own spousal protection rules.

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