Medicaid/ACA

[LucyImHome]

Trying to figure out the Affordable Care Act. I know, so is everyone else. The Medicaid part for lowest income folks. SO since most of us travel around and don't maybe "live" much in the state we claim, how will this work? Don't you have to receive care in your "home" state? If you're gone for months at a time and need regular doctor stuff, non-emergency, what do 'ya do? And is Medicaid free? No premiums or co-pay?

 

[LucyImHome]

This is NOT about the pros or cons. Just how it works for being out of state and whether you have to pay anything.

 

[yesican]

Good question!  I know for our Medicaid patients here in Alaska, they can seek help outside the state only if they can't get the same service here.  Not sure if Obamacare will be the exact same thing and you're right, not too many people know including the one's who wrote the bill.

 

[Terry]

Hi Lucy. That is a problem for me right now. Also, here in Pensacola, there are almost no doctors willing to accept new medicaid patients so keeping a regular doctor is next to impossible for me. I have, among all my problems, a loud noise screaming in my head 24/7/365 and setting in a waiting room full of all kinds of noise is very&nbsp; hard and becomes impossible to put up with after a short while so I have trouble with the few that do accept walk-in medicaid patients.<br>&nbsp;I didn't apply for my disability till I needed it and that was a long time past the last time I paid into SS fund so I got stuck with SSI disability and medicaid. I believe I will need a permanent home base someday to be able to get medical care. Not a big thing right away because I'm unable to take any of the drugs the doctors keep wanting to feed me. Emergency care is all I will stand for right now and that is available where ever I go.

 

[user 423]

You will need to check the rules for your state and how they handle out-of-state claims but then all that will be in a state of flux for a while. If you need to go to a doctor often,then this might set off red flags. There's so much bureaucracy that maybe they would never notice..LOL. <br><br>Mabe tell them you were visiting family or on vacation? Then if you need some serious stuff dealt with, you probably would need to head 'home'. Seems I read that if you are under a certain income level, then your premium is subsidized for 'regular' health insurance (as they do with Medicare) that could be used anywhere. <br><br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody ">If you're very low income and qualify for Medicaid and you have to stay close to home because of poor health, then you'll just have to decide if the mobile lifestyle is worth the risk.

 

[Scar]

I can only speak for current law, not any Obamacare changes for sure.&nbsp; But basically Medicare picks up 80%, if you are below a certain income Medicaid will pick up the 20%, below an even lower income you get full Medicaid and it picks up 100% and quite often more than Medicare will.&nbsp; But here is the kicker, Medicare is federal, Medicaid while being a mostly federal program, is ran by the states.&nbsp; So if you get Medicaid, residency and where you get treatment can be a big issue, including needing prior approval to get any out of state treatment.&nbsp; Same goes for the 20% they pay if you are in the sorta middle bracket I mentioned.&nbsp; Below I'm going to post the basic numbers for Idaho, as I'm familiar with them, can't say specific for your state.&nbsp; Medicaid is insurance for the poor, but up til Obamacare in Idaho you only got it if you were already retired or could prove permanent disability, not just being poor.&nbsp; I am aware other states don't always require this disability distinction and this topic varies wildly from state to state.&nbsp; A disabled friend of mine in Utah gets the same programs, but it isn't even called Medicaid in Utah, I forget what it is, and it gets wierd down there what he gets from time to time.&nbsp; Obamacare is supposed to at least get rid of states like Idaho using this kind of distinction, and granting insurance to the poor regardless of medical need.<br><br>&nbsp; Income Range&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Medicaid&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Medicare<br>&nbsp; Above $1100/Mo&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; NO&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 80% if qualified<br>&nbsp; $750-$1100&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20% Deductibles&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 80% if qualified&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Basically Medicaid picks up your deductibles and the balance as long as Medicare approves it)<br>&nbsp; Below $750 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 100%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 80% if qualified&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Yes this bracket technically gets dual coverage, sometimes one picks up certain procedures the other doesn't)<br><br>Sorry if I can't be more specific on Obamacares changes to it, I'm simply not familiar with it yet, and I'm not sure anyone really is.<br><br>&nbsp;If I've offended anyone incidentally with this post, it isn't meant that way, simply to explain from what I have seen in my state.