What is the Medicaid Program?

The Medicaid program is for eligible persons who need help paying their medical bills.

How do I apply for Medicaid?

If you already receive money from DHS through another assistance program, you are eligible for the Medicaid program. If you do not already get money from DHS, but need help paying your medical bills, you may be eligible for Medicaid.

To apply for Medicaid, go to your stat health department. A caseworker at the local office will ask you questions and enter your answers into a computer. When your caseworker is done, they will give you a computer printout with your answers on it and ask you to sign it. This is your application.

If you are pregnant, you may be eligible for immediate, limited coverage before you apply for the Medicaid program.

If you are pregnant and would like to apply for Medicaid for yourself and your children under the age of 19, you may do so at certain medical facilities and clinics, or through the mail.

If you are physically unable to go to the local office, a caseworker will call you on the telephone to interview you and help you apply. If you are a patient in a hospital, someone on the hospital staff will help you apply.

How do I know if I am eligible for Medicaid?

You are eligible (accepted into the program) to receive Medicaid if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen or meet certain non-citizen requirements. (Ask your caseworker about these requirements);
• Are an Illinois resident; and
• Meet the following program requirements:
   
  • Income and assets

    All your earned income, and unearned income are reviewed when you apply for Medicaid. If you are age 65 or older, or are disabled or blind, your assets will also be reviewed. Earned income is wages from your job or profits from your business. Unearned income includes money from Social Security and any other money you receive. Assets are the things you own.

  If you have too much income or too many assets to be eligible for Medicaid, but you meet all other eligibility requirements, DHS may put you in the Medicaid spend-down program. If you participate in the spend-down program, Medicaid will pay for some of your medical care each month after you show your caseworker medical bills that equal a certain amount. This amount is called your spend-down amount. Your caseworker will tell you the amount of your spend-down.

  • Health insurance

  You must also give DHS any information you have about your health insurance.

  • Proof of disability, blindness or age

  If you are getting cash from the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, or have applied for and are approved to receive SSI, this will be accepted as proof that you are either aged, blind or disabled. If you do not receive SSI and do not wish to apply for SSI, then your age, blindness, disability or incapacity will be evaluated by DHS.