Each and every state has a Medicaid program. In Iowa, Medicaid is connected to the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME). It is easy to discover the eligibility requirements of the Iowa Medicaid program from the website of the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. It is designed to help individuals and families who are low-income to find affordable health insurance coverage. Medicaid is funded, in part, by the federal government. It is also partially funded by the government of a particular state.
In Iowa, the Medicaid program is administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services. It is also connected to the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME). What is that? According to the Iowa Department of Human Services website:
“The Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME) is an endeavor that unites State Staff and “Best of Breed” contractors into a performance-based model for administration of the Medicaid program.”
The eligibility requirements for Medicaid in Iowa are very easy to find. They are clearly listed out on the Iowa Department of Human Services website.
To be eligible, a person must be a United States citizen or a legal qualified alien. The person will be expected to show proof of citizenship and identity. The person must also live within the state of Iowa. The person must be able to provide a Social Security number or proof that the person has applied for one. There are income limits and resource limits that must be met. The exact amount will differ depending on which of the many portions of the Medicaid program a person is applying for.
There are several eligibility groups within the Iowa Medicaid program. A person must fit into one of these groups in order to be accepted into the Medicaid system.
The groups are: children under the age of 21, a parent who lives with a child who is under age 18, a woman who is pregnant, or a woman who needs treatment for breast or cervical cancer. If she does, she must have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in order to qualify for Medicaid.
Other groups include: people who are “aged” (over the age of 65), people who are blind or disabled, certain people who are Medicare beneficiaries, or a person who meets the Social Security disability requirements and who is employed.
You may have noticed that Iowa’s Medicaid does not cover adults who are younger than age 65, who are not pregnant, who are not disabled, and who do not live with dependent children. This is the group that could be covered if a state chooses to accept federal funding to expand their Medicaid program.
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