Single Mother Grants

For the unknowing – Medicaid is the principal source of funding for free or low cost health coverage for the poor and disabled in America.

The concept of Medicaid came about so that the government could provide assistance to financially-strapped families to help them pay of a portion of their medical bills.

It is often described as a “means-tested” program – where applicants are screened for their eligibility.¹ and because Medicaid is an entitlement program, everyone who is eligible is guaranteed a spot.

According to a U.S census, 6 out of every 10 children from single-parent families were living under or at the poverty line. This is because single parents have a lot of pressure on them all the time – to be the sole providers for their families and to be emotionally and physically present at all times is never easy.

If you are a single mother who meet specific income criteria, applying for Medicaid² is a smart way to help your and your family fight your way out of a vicious cycle of any medical predicament.

While it is less likely that adults will qualify for Medicaid, uninsured child coming from a low income family³ can qualify for the same. In general, you should apply for Medicaid if you cannot afford private insurance on your own.

Understanding Medicaid

It is essentially a state as well as federal scheme, wherein states and federal government jointly funds it, while the state authorities manage it. Its primary goal is to assist low income families to pay their medical bills.

This scheme was introduced in the year 1995 and since then, it has been helping citizens to get good medical help that they wouldn’t have been able to afford without it.

All the different states in America have their own Medicaid program that is administered by their own Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)⁴. Statistics state that richer states receive less funding for this scheme than the poorer states do.

Medicaid Eligibility

Each state creates their own guidelines for eligibility but they have to be in accordance with the federal guidelines. Because each states comes up with their own parameters for qualification each state might have a different income level required to qualify for the same, higher in some and lower in others.

Other than income, the factors that are taken into consideration include your assets like household resources. In addition to the above factors – individuals must also fall into one of the following groups to qualify including

1. pregnant women,
2. parents of eligible children (up to age 18),
3. disabled individuals,
4. people with certain medical conditions,
5. the elderly, and
6. nursing home residents.

If you are a pregnant woman, about to become a single parent, you may qualify for Medicaid and be reimbursed or given financial aid to help during child and baby care.

While Medicaid isn’t the ideal, nor the only source of medical financial assistance that the government provides to single mothers. If used correctly and at the right time, it can be a great source of help for low-income, single parent families.

References:

1. Source: Medicaid.gov [↩]
2. For specific information about enrolling in Medicaid, eligibility, coverage and services for your State, please contact your local Medicaid office. [↩]
3. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides free or low-cost health coverage for children up to age 19. To learn more, make a free call to 1-877 KIDS NOW (1-877-543-7669) [↩]
4. See Dept. Health & Human Services Regional Offices [↩]