Every state has a Medicaid program. It isn’t always easy to find out if you, or your family, are eligible for it. Some states make it extremely difficult to find that information. The state of Washington, however, makes it really easy for people to apply for Medicaid.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. It is designed to provide affordable health insurance coverage to people who are low-income and who cannot afford to buy health insurance from a private company. Medicaid gets some funding from the federal government and some funding from the state.
In Washington, Medicaid is offered through the Washington State Health Care Authority. Washington has a lot of assistance programs for families and individuals that are low-income.
Earlier this year, legislators in Washington created a bill that would have required private health insurance companies that were already covering maternity in a standard health insurance plan to also cover abortion. The bill didn’t get passed into law. However, it shows that Washington doesn’t simply follow the current political trends when deciding about what types of insurance coverage to offer to the people of Washington.
The state of Washington makes it incredibly easy for a person to apply for Medicaid. Simply go to the website for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services called “Do I qualify?”, and fill out the form. This is the starting point for applying for all of the state’s food, cash assistance, child care, medical benefits, or long-term care assistance programs.
The questions on ask for the number of people who are in your home, and the number of children that you live with. How much money do you earn in a month (before taxes are taken out)? It also asks how much money your family gets in a month other than your monthly earnings. Those earnings could include unemployment, retirement, child support, or payments you receive from SSA or SSI.
Another question asks you how much money your family has in cash, or in bank accounts. Include amounts that come from all of the bank accounts for all of the people in your household. The last question is one that I haven’t seen taken into account in some of the other state’s eligibility requirements for Medicaid. How much money does your family pay each month in child support?
The answers to those questions will help the state of Washington to determine if you, or members of your family, are eligible for assistance from one or more of the many different types of Medicaid programs that the state offers. Washington has streamlined the application process so that this one form is the starting point for all of the assistance programs.
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