What Do You Need To Know?
Medicaid is an extensive health insurance program that provides benefits to a wide range of people. In Illinois, it is run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide health-related facilities to both families with low-income and individuals who are living below a certain poverty level. The state government and the Federal government of the United States administer the Medicaid program. The awardees of the program comprise of diverse groups of residents of Illinois.
The programs provide health care services to
- Children
- Pregnant women
- Parents
- Guardians/caretaker relatives
- Senior citizens
- Parents with no dependent kids
- Disabled people
The Illinois Medicaid program is targeted towards families and individuals with low household income who are unable to cover their medical dues. People from the underprivileged background are incapable of paying expensive medical dues as a result of the high cost of health care. The goal of the program is to reach out to such people and provide protection against the expensive medical bill so that they can live a healthy and zestful life.
Are You Eligible?
It is mandatory for the applicant to be a US national with permanent and legal citizenship and most importantly a residence of the state of Illinois to apply for the Medicaid program. Other requirements include
- Have a depended child under 19 years of age
- The candidate is disabled ( blind etc.)
- Pregnant women
- Senior citizen of the state (65 years of age or older)
Your eligibility is automatically canceled if you do not fulfill the eligibility criteria.
The state agencies those are responsible for providing the Illinois Medicaid program look for certain resources to determine aptness of the candidate for the program. Those resources include
- Assets/Resources (bonds, funds, property, credit union accounts, etc.)
- Size of the household
- An annual income of the household before taxes
- Candidate’s age
- Medical conditions
The requirements for the income level of the household or individuals may differ depending on the eligibility group. Below are the income level requirements for parents, caregivers, individuals and for people with Adult Medicaid Expansion coverage. The total annual household income before taxes should either be equal or less than
| Household Size | Total Gross Income (Per Year) |
| 1 | 17237 |
| 2 | 23336 |
| 3 | 29436 |
| 4 | 35535 |
| 5 | 41635 |
| 6 | 47735 |
| 7 | 53834 |
| 8 | 59934 |
An amount of $6100 is added per person if the total size of the family exceeds 8 members. The applicant needs to visit a managing agency to get the most correct and up-to-date information and program guidelines. This will help the applicant understand the terms and policies of the Illinois Medicaid program and help make the application process easy.
To check your eligibility for the Illinois Medicaid program, you can also go to the official Medicaid program website and check whether you qualify or not based on the information you provide. To check your eligibility, you need to provide the information like your citizenship status, household size/income.
How To Apply?
There are many different ways to apply for the Illinois Medicaid program like
- Apply Online
You can fill the application form for the Illinois Medicaid program online. To find the form please visit the official website of the Illinois Medicaid program. The website contains thorough information related to the eligibility criteria as well as the services provided by the program. The website also contains information about the other benefit programs provided by the state of Illinois. You will also find information related to the Affordable Healthcare Act on the website.
The candidate can also check their qualification through the Illinois official Marketplace website. The Marketplace was established to provide the healthcare benefits to citizens across various states of the United States of America who are otherwise not able to do so.
Apply By Phone
Individuals interested in the Illinois Medicaid program can contact the Department of Health Services (DHS) office at
- (916) 558-1784 or
- 916-445-0553(if you are a TTY user)
By calling the above numbers, one gets to talk to highly qualified members of staff who can answer any queries the applicant might have regarding the Medicaid program.
Apply Through Local Medicaid Office
If you want to apply in person for the Medicaid program kindly visit the Illinois Department of Human Services. The staff member will guide you about the eligibility and other criteria of programs. To find a Medicaid office please visit the official website of the program.
If you are new in the state you will have to provide information related to your
- Citizenship and identity
- Immigration status
- Social Security Number (SSN)
You only need to complete the application form and submit it to the local Medicaid office. In case you have any further queries related to the program you can visit the website to get your hands on the recent guidelines about the program.