Does Medicaid count as Minimum Essential Coverage?
Does Medicaid count as Minimum Essential Coverage?
Answer
Medicaid, CHIP, and most other public insurance types count as minimum essential coverage. Regardless of your state's name for their Medicaid program, you are covered.
Does Plan First Medicaid (that covers women for pap smears, birth control, pregnancy, etc.) count as coverage under Obamacare? If you have this form of Medicaid, in Alabama, do you still pay a tax penalty for being uninsured?
In states that expanded Medicaid, Medicaid covers all those things. In states with limited benefit Medicaid coverage or their won Medicaid rules, then it won’t specifically cover everything it does in other states. Thus, you should first and foremost check with your state Medicaid office.
If you are on Medicaid and it isn’t limited benefit coverage, then yes it does mean you avoid the fee.
You also avoid the fee if your income is low enough, if you would qualify for Medicaid in a state that expanded Medicaid, then you will generally be exempt from the fee even if you aren’t eligible for Medicaid in your state.
There are a few things going on here, so another option is to contact healthcare.gov for guidance.