What Does Georgia Medicaid Cover?

If you have limited resources or income, Medicaid could cover some of your healthcare costs. Currently, the state and federal program covers ​20 percent​ of Americans. If you live in Georgia and cannot afford private health insurance companies, the national health insurance is worth considering. That way, you and your loved ones do not have to struggle when someone falls ill.

Just because you cannot afford private health insurance companies does not mean you are eligible for Medicaid in GA. There are strict eligibility criteria you have to meet to qualify for national health insurance.

In Georgia, the general criteria are included below.

• You must be a U.S. citizen, legal resident or legal alien who resides in Georgia.
• You must have low or very low income. Depending on your household size, varying from one to eight individuals, you could earn a maximum income of ​$31,814 to $110,311​ annually and still qualify for Medicaid. If you have more than eight people within your household, you can earn an extra ​$11,214​ per person per year.

It is also worth noting that if you earn a higher income than the stated limits, you can still qualify for Medicaid through its Medically Needy Program. In such a case, you must prove that you have significant medical expenses that would lower your income below the specified threshold.

To qualify for the Medically Needy Program in Georgia, you must show you will spend or have spent down medical expenses until you attain the Medically Needy Income Level (MNIL), which currently stands at ​$317​ for an individual or ​$375​ for a couple per month. Also, you cannot have assets exceeding ​$2,000​ for an individual or ​$4,000​ for a couple in such a case.

In addition to meeting the citizenship and income criteria, you may also need to meet other requirements to qualify. You may have to:

• Be pregnant
• Be responsible for at least one child under the age of 18 or
• Be legally blind
• Be disabled or have a member of your family within the household who has a disability
• Be 65 years and above
• Require nursing home care

However, Georgia has several Medicaid programs. And the eligibility criteria for these programs vary somewhat.

Several programs fall under the Georgia Medicaid Program. And they are usually open to Medicaid members in various ways to help the elderly, disabled, children, families, etc.

Examples of the Medicaid programs in Georgia include:

• Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP) for working adults who need financial assistance for healthcare
• Autism Spectrum Disorder for children and the disabled who are under 21 years
• Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) for children
• Georgia Electronic Visit Verification for all Medicaid members who may need home care
• Georgia Families for children and families who are part of Medicaid
• Georgia Families 360° for all children, and especially those within the system such as foster care children and juvenile members
• Georgia Long-Term Care Partnership, Georgia Money Follows The Person (Ga MFP) and Long Term Services and Supports for the elderly and disabled
• Medicaid Estate Recovery for the elderly
• TEFRA/Katie Beckett for children and the disabled, etc.

If you qualify for Georgia Medicaid, the national insurance scheme will cover mental health treatment and services and preventative services, such as physical exams, health screenings and Medicaid-covered adult immunizations. In addition, Medicaid in Georgia can include vision, dental and hearing coverage.

Considering how expensive dental care can be, it would be wise to determine whether Medicaid can help you offset the costs of obtaining it.

Unfortunately, Medicaid dental Georgia services are pretty limited, especially for adults. You can only get dental services if the situation is an emergency or life-threatening. And even so, each medical issue will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

However, Medicaid is kinder to children. They can get regular checkups, pain relief, infection treatment, emergency care, teeth restoration and dental health services. Unfortunately, fewer than ​33 percent ​of dentists accept Medicaid in Georgia, so getting help can be challenging.