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Serving the legal needs
of Alabamians over 50
                        
To be eligible for Medicaid, you must meet the requirements for an
eligibility group.  We can define an “eligibility group” as people who
have certain common characteristics, such as being aged or disabled,
and who meet certain common requirements, such as having income
and assets below certain levels.  There are many different eligibility
groups in the Medicaid program, and each one has its own set of
requirements. In order to participate in Medicaid, federal law requires
states to cover certain population groups (mandatory eligibility
groups) and gives them the flexibility to cover other population groups
(optional eligibility groups). States set individual eligibility criteria within
federal minimum standards. There are other non-financial eligibility
criteria that are used in determining Medicaid eligibility. Individuals
need to satisfy federal and state requirements regarding residency,
immigration status, and documentation of U.S. citizenship. Medicaid
coverage may start retroactively for up to 3 months prior to the month
of application, if the individual would have been eligible during the
retroactive period had he or she applied then. Coverage generally
stops at the end of the month in which a person no longer meets the
requirements for eligibility. There are many specifics to the Medicaid
program in Alabama too numerous to mention, and they are always
dependent on an applicant’s particular set of circumstances. You
should always seek competent legal advice before you apply for
Medicaid benefits.

More extensive general explanations of the federal aspects of the
Medicaid program are available from these outside resources:

http://longtermcare.gov/medicare-medicaid-more/medicaid/medicaid-
eligibility/

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/1619b.htm

http://www.medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-Program-Information/By-
Topics/Eligibility/Eligibility.html
256-536-9494
2306 Pansy Street SW
Huntsville, Alabama 35801