The ACA & Medicaid for People with Disabilities

Kaiser Family Foundation has released an issue brief by MaryBeth Musumeci, The Affordable Care Act’s Impact on Medicaid Eligibility, Enrollment, and Benefits for People with Disabilities.  According to the executive summary “Medicaid is an important source of health insurance coverage for people with disabilities.  This issue brief explains how Medicaid eligibility and benefits for people with disabilities are affected by the .. ACA… as of 2014.  Marketplace rules are discussed to the extent that they relate to Medicaid eligibility determinations for people with disabilities.”  The final section of the report, titled “looking ahead” concludes that

The ACA’s Medicaid eligibility and enrollment changes can affect applicants and beneficiaries with disabilities.  The 2014 rules seek to allow people with disabilities to enroll in coverage as quickly as possible (either in Medicaid based solely on their low income or in a Marketplace QHP with APTC, where eligible), even while their Medicaid eligibility in a disability-related coverage group is being determined.   The 2014 rules also seek to ensure that people who qualify in a disability-related Medicaid coverage group or who are medically frail can access the most appropriate benefits package for their needs.  As the ACA’s 2014 eligibility and enrollment rules are implemented, it will be important to continue to assess how eligibility determinations and benefits for people with disabilities are affected by the new streamlined eligibility, enrollment and renewal procedures, coordination between state Medicaid agencies and the Marketplaces, the application screening questions, and the extent to which states align their new adult ABPs with state plan benefits.

The issue brief also contains some excellent charts and helpful eligibility comparisons. A pdf of the issue brief is available here.