In the state of New York, a family of four can make up to $95,400 annually and still qualify its children for comprehensive health coverage, while families in Arizona must make less than $33,400 to qualify their children, according to a PointCare analysis of 2014 Medicaid data.
For uninsured low-income families with children ages 0-18, it's important to know the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) limit under which Medicaid and some state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will cover their children. When a state has a higher FPL limit, more working families are afforded a greater opportunity to have their children covered. Other states may not be as "generous," having lower FPL limits for these programs. PointCare, a screening and enrollment software company that assists the uninsured in hospitals and health centers, has identified the top 10 most and least generous states as it relates to a family's annual income.
With a robust database of several thousand public and private programs, PointCare has helped more than a half-million Americans identify their health coverage eligibility.
Listed below is a breakdown of the Medicaid and CHIP FPL limits pulled from PointCare's health coverage database and theCenter for Medicaid & CHIP Services. A complete listing of all 50 states' plusDistrict of Columbiarankings is available atPointCare.com/FPL-Rankings-Release.
Ten "Most Generous" States/DC for Covering Children Ages 0-18 under Medicaid & CHIP
Rank
State/DC
Annual Income
Fed Poverty Level
1
New York
$95,400
400%
2
Hawaii *
$84,500
308%
3
New Jersey
$83,500
350%
4
District of Columbia
$76,100
319%
5
Connecticut/New Hampshire
$75,850
318%
7
Maryland
$75,600
317%
8
Pennsylvania
$75,000
314%
9
Illinois
$74,650
313%
10
Alabama/Vermont
$74,400
312%
Ten "Least Generous" States/DC for Covering Children Ages 0-18 under Medicaid & CHIP
Rank
State/DC
Annual Income
Fed Poverty Level
Overall
1
Arizona**
$33,400
140%
35
2
North Dakota
$40,545
170%
34
3
Idaho
$44,123
185%
33
4
Nevada/Utah/Virginia/Wyoming
$47,700
200%
32
8
Texas
$47,940
201%
31
9
South Dakota
$48,655
204%
30
10
Oklahoma
$49,000
205%
29
*The separate poverty guidelines forHawaiireflect Office of Economic Opportunity administrative practice beginning in the 1966-1970 period. **Arizonadoes not have a CHIP program and has three varying income levels for coverage eligibility: Ages 0-1 (147% FPL), Ages 1-5 (141% FPL), Ages 6-18 (133% FPL).
"Where you live really matters," concludedEverett Lebherz, Vice President of PointCare. Noting that nearly 1 in 3 uninsured Americans qualify for Medicaid, Lebherz affirms that PointCare is planning to continue its efforts to assist providers nationwide with educating and engaging uninsured patients about their options beyondMarch 31st, when open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act Exchange plans closes. For an estimated 13-16 million Medicaid-eligible families and individuals, enrollment can take place year-round.
PointCare provides a web-based, mobile-friendly health coverage screening, enrollment, and reporting tool, PointCarePA, for hospitals and clinics nationwide.
SOURCE SAN MATEO, Calif.,March 25, 2014/PRNewswire/ -- PointCare