Why Was I Denied Health Coverage Based on Income in PA?
I applied for insurance through medicaid because I am only making about $8,000.00 and have returned to college to change careers due a severe decline in business. Previously when I had the money I paid myself. The last few years my life has changed drastically and I have no one to help me. There are so many people that have free care for everything for years and years and unbelievably when you need help you can not get it. What can I do?
Answer
You are under the impression people are getting free help, you now know this isn't true in many states, including PA. In fact getting help can be hard, and many times it's only offered to those with high enough income. Not lifetime income, not how hard they work, not how they contribute to society, but household income in a calendar year.
Luckily for you and 1.4 million others in PA, despite strong opposition from the GOP, PA is actually doing a version of Medicaid expansion. You can keep up to date with their plan to expand health coverage to the millions of hardworking PA residents that fall between the cracks, regardless to what extent they have participated in society in other years of their life.
Learn more about the PA Medicaid Expansion alternative. It is supposed to launch in 2015, but isn't live yet.
Now that the point is made that Medicaid is important and the people who need the safety net are too, you are pretty darn close to making 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. If you can earn a little bit more income, or project to earn a little bit more income, you may still have enrollment options under special enrollment.