After 30 years of living separate lives, our client ran into her first husband. The old sparks, once dormant, came blazing back to life. The couple decided to remarry.
Our client and her new husband are both disabled and receive public benefits. Each was individually eligible for public benefits based on their income, resources, and/or circumstance. Our client had Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare covers 80% of each bill and she relied on Medicaid to cover the balance. Medicaid eligibility is based on household income. By combining their income, however, she lost her eligibility for Medicaid. Without Medicaid, she was unable to pay the 20% of each medical bill that Medicare doesn’t cover.
Her romance may have been rekindled, but her full health insurance coverage was extinguished.
She contacted us for help and we evaluated her situation. We realized she was eligible for a different category of Medicaid, which has a significantly higher income limit and a small monthly premium. We appealed the termination of her Medicaid and requested that it be resumed in a different category. After several weeks, she was finally placed in the appropriate Medicaid category.
By reviving her health insurance and her relationship, she now feels secure.
Remember to look before you leap. Marriage affects public benefits.
View more information: “Marriage and Public Benefits: A Buyer’s Guide”