Can Medicaid be transferred to another State?

Some people think that by moving from one State to another, the Medicaid or Medical benefit (depending on the State) will transfer from one State to another, but this is not the case. Each state has its own eligibility requirements and they are totally different. And it should be noted that you cannot have Medicaid in two States at the same time.

So, if you are one of the people who have this benefit and you want to have Medicaid in one State and then in the next State where you are moving, in order not to lose a benefit period, you need to plan ahead and act diligently. That is, before you leave your current State, you need to cancel or close the Medicaid case so that you can open a new case in the State where you plan to move. The good news is that when you apply for Medicaid in the new State, there are no residency requirements such as the length of time you have lived in the State.

Remember that this Medicaid benefit is a State Aid, and because it is State, each state has its own criteria for the person to qualify.

When you apply for the Medicaid benefit in the State where you move, this benefit can be made retroactive up to three months before the period of the month you applied for it. During this period, if you had medical services or any bills for medical coverage, Medicaid would pay.

If you are thinking of moving to another state and you have Medicaid or Medical benefits, do your homework early: you need to find out what the requirements are in the new state, what income limits it accepts, and see if you can qualify.

There are professionals who help with the planning of closing and opening Medicaid cases so that you do not miss any period of time without coverage. You can call them and ask them about your Medicaid eligibility in the State you are going to. Do not expect to move from one State to another and have your Medicaid transferred because it is not going to happen, or to be approved for Medicaid because you may not qualify because the requirements are different.

Our recommendation is always to plan ahead so that you can make that change of state and coverage smoothly. Remember that Medicaid works in conjunction with Medicare. For example, Medicare covers its part, and if the person has a Medicare Advantage plan, this is the one that will cover all the medical and hospital services of Medicaid. In this case, the plan covers its share and what is not covered by this plan is covered by Medicaid. Therefore, the co-payments and deductible for all medical and hospital services are practically zero, because Medicaid pays those costs that are not paid by the Advantage plan.

If you are one of the people who have both of these benefits and do not yet have one of the advantage plans, please contact us. At Avila Mecicare Solutions our specialty is Medicare plans. We help people with enrollment and everything related to Medicare. We help people fill out their application for the Extra Help program, which is a program to cover drug costs and with that same application, if the person qualifies according to income, they can also apply for Medicaid. This same application is sent to the Medicaid office for Medicaid processing.

In addition, we can help you with the review of plans according to your needs and preferences, so that you can have your ideal plan, for maximum savings and greater benefits.

Our services are free of charge for all our clients, especially Spanish-speaking clients.

If you have questions or concerns about Medicare and its plans, you can write to the following email address grace@avilamedicare.comor call us when you need it.

Our local number is 512-520-5957 or you can call us on our toll free number which is 855-GO-AVILA. We are here to serve you.