Hawaii

What You Need To Know

Hawaii has set up two programs for its low-income residents. These programs are aimed at providing Hawaiian residents with medical assistance. These benefits programs are:

1. Hawaii QUEST
2. Medicaid Fee-For-Service

The second benefit program provides medical coverage to three kinds of groups. These categories can be defined as:

• People aged 65 or above
• People who are blind
• People with disabilities

Their medical coverage is provided in a way that makes life easier for them. Medicaid achieves this by paying the healthcare providers for the services availed. This direct payment eliminates the worry for fees for these qualified individuals. Other individuals are advised to apply for the Hawaii QUEST program instead.

Eligibility of the person is dependent upon the group, especially concerning the income level. An applicant of Medicaid Fee-For-Service will be classified into one of the three categories. Once this has taken place, their income and eligibility will be seen accordingly.

Are You Eligible

A basic criterion has been set in regards to this program. Once these requirements are fulfilled, the person can consider further eligibility aspects. The person has to

• Be a resident of the state of Hawaii
• Be a U.S. national, citizen, or qualified alien
• Require medical assistance
• Have a financial situation which can be described as low or very low income.
• Be aged 65 or above; or blind; or disabled.

The assets and earnings of the person are also considered. These are major factors in determining the eligibility of the person. It is expected that the applicants, those who are adults must not have more than 100% of the FPL. That is the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL). On the other hand, those below the age of 19 are expected to have an income less than 200% FPL. The FPL level is also different for pregnant women who must have a countable income below 185%. The size of the household for a pregnant woman would be considered with the addition of the unborn child.

The countable assets of the applicant are also considered. The following four situations outline the amounts as well as the household size.

• For a household of one person, the assets must amount to or be less than $2,000
• For a household of two people, the assets must amount to or be less than $3,000.
• An additional person in the household leads to a $250 increase in the limit.
• These assets limits do not apply to those individuals;
• Who are below the age of 19.
• Who are pregnant. It is not applicable during their pregnancy duration plus 60 days.

The annual household income requirement can be outlined through the help of the following table. It is important for the earnings of a household, before any tax deductions, to amount to:

A household may have more than eight residents. In such cases, an additional amount of $6757 is added per extra person. It is advised that an individual keep in touch with the managing agency. This can prove to be a helpful step. It will also help to ensure that the guidelines being following are accurate.

How To Apply?

The application process can begin by contacting the closest Med-QUEST Division Eligibility Branch. Its location can be found through the help of the internet. One can easily request an application form from them. Applications are accepted by this office through the eligibility offices set up throughout Hawaii. This includes the hospitals and health centers that forward the medical application to them. In case the potential applicant is a participant of the food stamp program, his caseworker can also submit his application.

Once the application form is completed, it is returned to the Med-QUEST office. It is then, the responsibility of the office to contact you for the scheduling of your interview. This interview would determine your eligibility furthermore. Therefore, it is requested from the applicants to provide documents that can verify their:

• Date of birth
• Citizenship
• Social Security Number
• Income
• Assets

If it is not possible for the person to represent themselves in the interview, they can appoint someone else. The person must be well aware of the situation of the applicant. This can include spouse, adult child, sibling, other family relations and friends.

For Further Information

The authority behind Medicaid Fee-For-Service has set up a website to cater to the queries of people. It contains information that can help people to determine their eligibility for it. Along with this Med-Quest Division’s website, Hawaii My Medical Benefits website is also available. It provides ease of access to the residents of Hawaii concerning their applications and other information.

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What You Need To Know

The healthcare needs of low-income Hawaii residents are catered to through the help of their two benefits program. They provide medical coverage to deserving families through the help of:

• Hawaii QUEST
• Hawaii Medicaid Fee-For-Service

Hawaii QUEST is a benefit program stabled to help eligible residents of Hawaii. QUEST provides health coverage through health plans. This allows its members to receive medical and mental health services. However, it must be kept in mind that dental services are provided by its sister program, Medicaid Fee-For-Service Program. Hawaii QUEST has been administered by the Department of Human Services. It is a state and federally-funded program that aims to safeguard the health of people.

Medical assistance is provided to pregnant women at any time. Their medical coverage is undertaken by the program whether they have applied before or not. This is because their pregnancy may make them eligible for the benefits if they had been rejected before. In order to quicken this process, there are special eligibility workers present. They try to make sure that the enrollment is carried out as soon as possible. This allows the woman to receive the appropriate healthcare in the proper duration such as prenatal care.

To make sure that you receiving special processing, the application must highlight that you are pregnant. To confirm the eligibility of the women, a home pregnancy test or through the help of a health care provider is referred to. The health care provider can be either of the following, as long as they verify the pregnancy:

• Physician
• Nurse midwife
• Pediatric nurse practitioner
• Family nurse practitioner

This verification means that pregnant women do not have to, necessarily, provide any documentation confirming her pregnancy.

Are You Eligible?

There is a certain basic criterion to be followed in case a person wishes to apply for QUEST. Amongst these, it is important for the person to

• Be a resident of the state of Hawaii
• Be a U.S. national, citizen, or qualified alien
• Require health coverage
• Have a financial situation which can be classified as low-income.
• Not be above the age of 65
• Not be blind
• Not be disabled

To ensure that the person does have low income, the annual household income is considered. The amount before taxes is expected to be either less than or equal to:

A household that has more than eight residents must add in an amount of $5,080 per additional person. It is advised that a person stays in touch with their managing agency. This is recommended as it will help the person to ensure they are following the most recent and accurate guidelines.

The eligibility criteria also outline that asset limits are not applicable to individuals under 19, or pregnant women. In the matter of the latter group, this is valid during the pregnancy plus 60 days.

How To Apply

Online portals have been set up to make the application process an easy one. Medicaid On Line Eligibility Application (KOLEA) can be found online. An eligible individual can simply create a user account and then follow the given instructions. Therefore, they can begin their potential qualification from the comfort of their home.

Offices have been set up through the state. These have been established to assist the residents as much as possible. The Med-QUEST Division accepts the application forms submitted to these offices. The forms are also received through the help of the hospitals and health centers. Moreover, those receiving food stamps can also apply. Their caseworker can simply forward their medical application which can be processed.

People have different preferences when it comes to the method of communication. Therefore, to make sure that people have different choices to select from, a mail option is also available. Potential applicants can return the application to the Med-QUEST office. The office will then contact the person for appointments concerning their eligibility. This means that the person must make sure to take documents for verification along with them. This includes documents about their:

• Date of birth
• Citizenship
• Social Security Number
• Income and Assets

In the case where the applicant is unable to represent themselves, they can appoint someone else. This can be a trustworthy person who is aware of their situation. It includes spouse, adult child, sibling, family relatives, and friends.

For Further Information

To provide interested residents of Hawaii with the appropriate information, a website has been set up. Med-QUEST Division’s website contains in-depth information about the program. Therefore, it can prove helpful for the person as they might realize whether or not they should apply for it.

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