Elizabeth Rivelli has nearly five years of experience covering insurance for finance publications. She has expertise in various insurance lines, including car insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and others. In her writing, s.
Elizabeth Rivelli Insurance WriterElizabeth Rivelli has nearly five years of experience covering insurance for finance publications. She has expertise in various insurance lines, including car insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and others. In her writing, s.
Written By Elizabeth Rivelli Insurance WriterElizabeth Rivelli has nearly five years of experience covering insurance for finance publications. She has expertise in various insurance lines, including car insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and others. In her writing, s.
Elizabeth Rivelli Insurance WriterElizabeth Rivelli has nearly five years of experience covering insurance for finance publications. She has expertise in various insurance lines, including car insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and others. In her writing, s.
Insurance Writer Les Masterson Deputy Editor, InsuranceLes Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before cove.
Les Masterson Deputy Editor, InsuranceLes Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before cove.
Les Masterson Deputy Editor, InsuranceLes Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before cove.
Les Masterson Deputy Editor, InsuranceLes Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before cove.
| Deputy Editor, Insurance
Updated: Jan 11, 2024, 3:56am
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
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Health insurance can be a strain on your budget, but there are options for coverage if you have a low income.
You may be eligible for inexpensive comprehensive health insurance like Medicaid or subsidized coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.
There are a few options for low income health insurance, but the best one depends on your household income and situation.
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive coverage at the lowest cost (depending on your income), Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) might be your best options. In some states, Medicaid and CHIP are combined, and in other states they’re administered as separate programs.
You must meet certain requirements to get Medicaid or CHIP and these requirements are different in every state. If you’re considering low income health insurance, start by submitting an application to see if you qualify and—if you are eligible—how much it will cost.
If you’re not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP in your state, you might be able to get a subsidized ACA marketplace plan. The marketplace is available at HealthCare.gov and provides premium tax credits to those who qualify. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly 14 million Americans receive a premium tax credit and the average monthly credit is $527.
Choosing the best low income health insurance ultimately comes down to cost. Most states have an online plan-comparison tool where you can get health insurance quotes and see how much you would pay for various policies based on your income and household size.
Depending on where you live, you also might qualify for a low income health insurance program administered by your state. Below are states that manage their own medical insurance plans for low income residents.
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is the state’s Medicaid program, which provides coverage to thousands of Arizonans. You can generally get Medicaid coverage in Arizona starting on the first day of the month after you’re found to be eligible.
The program covers many types of services found in standard health insurance, including doctor visits, specialist care, immunizations, pregnancy care, labs and X-rays, and behavioral health. There is also expanded coverage for children, including dental, vision and hearing.
Covered California is the state health insurance marketplace where California residents can get a health insurance plan. When you apply for health insurance through Covered California, you can also apply for income-based financial assistance.
Some low income Californians can also get free or subsidized medical insurance through Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. There are special Medi-Cal plans for children in foster care, women undergoing treatment for breast and/or cervical cancer and low income pregnant women.
In Florida, several well-known health insurance companies contract with the state to provide Medicaid and CHIP benefits to low income individuals and families. Florida’s CHIP program is called Florida KidCare and is open to children between age 5 to 18. There are also a few other programs available to low income Floridians.
For example, individuals who cannot qualify for Medicaid may be able to enroll in the Medically Needy program, which is overseen by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). This program, which provides cost-sharing savings, is designed to provide financial assistance for Floridians who would qualify for Medicaid but whose income is above the maximum amount.
Floridians who want to lower the cost of health insurance can also look into a discounted prescription drug program. The Florida DCF recommends two discount drug cards, which you can get through the Florida Discount Drug Card Program or Florida RX Card.
Illinois Medicaid offers comprehensive health insurance coverage for low-income residents and others, including people who are disabled, blind and those who were formerly in foster care services.
Parents can also get help paying for their children’s health insurance costs. Illinois’ All Kids program offers health care coverage to children or helps pay for health insurance premiums for coverage that can include employer or private health insurance plans. Services are free or low cost based on family income and size.
Minnesota offers Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare for low-income residents. Medical Assistance doesn’t have monthly premiums. It has small copays (often $1 to $3) for some services. Medical Assistance may pay medical bills up to three months before a person applies for coverage.
MinnesotaCare may have a monthly premium, which is based on household size and income, as well as small copays for services. MinnesotaCare has a premium estimator table that helps estimate your potential monthly premiums.
Nevada Medicaid offers health insurance for low-income Nevadans. Those who are eligible may or may not pay premiums based on household income and family size. Nevada has stricter Medicaid eligibility requirements than many other states.
You could instead get a subsidized ACA health insurance plan through the marketplace. ACA plans are the only ones that are subsidized by the government. People may get help paying for other health insurance, too. Nevada Check Up is a low-cost, comprehensive health insurance program for children not covered by private health insurance or Medicaid.
New Yorkers have a few options for low income health insurance. One of the most common plans is Medicaid, which covers over 7.3 million low income New Yorkers. Like in all states, New York’s Medicaid requirements are based on your income and family size.
Children under age 19 who are permanent residents of New York can get coverage under the Child Health Plus program, which is New York’s version of CHIP. Families don’t pay a monthly premium if their income is less than 160% the poverty level, which equates to about $4,600 per month for a three-person family or about $5,550 per month for four-person family.
New York also offers The Essential Plan, which provides comprehensive benefits to low income people with no monthly premium and low cost sharing. The Essential Plan is available to New Yorker’s who don’t qualify for Medicaid or the Child Health Plus program. It includes free preventative, dental and vision care, as well as coverage for prescription drugs, hospitalization and more, with no deducible.
There are several low income medical insurance plans available to Texans. Texas’s Medicaid program is called the STAR managed care program, which provides medical benefits to low income children and families. The plan is open to adults and kids age 18 and younger.
Children who are age 20 and younger and have a disability can enroll in the STAR Kids program, which is part of CHIP but is administered as a different plan. In addition, pregnant women can enroll in the CHIP Perinatal program, which provides coverage during pregnancy and for two months after childbirth.
Adults who are age 65 or older and adults with disabilities are eligible to enroll in the STAR+ Plus program. Texans in this program get access to long-term care services, such as assistance with daily tasks at home and help making home improvements for safe living conditions.
Virginia Medicaid offers low-cost or no-cost comprehensive health insurance coverage to those who are eligible. Eligibility is based on household size and income, as well as circumstances.
Medicaid eligibility for adults is $20,121 for a single person and $27,214 for a two-person family. Eligibility levels for children and pregnant women is slightly higher ($21,579 for single and $29,186 for two people). Those eligibility requirements are stricter than many other states, but you may qualify for a subsidized ACA marketplace plan.
There are several options for low income individuals and families who want a cheap health insurance policy. Eligibility for low income health insurance is typically based on your household income.
Here are some of the most common ways to get low income health insurance.
Medicaid is a low income health insurance program that is funded by states and the federal government. There are about 83 million Americans covered by Medicaid.
Medicaid is administered by states. Each state has its own unique criteria for eligibility, such as offering more generous income requirements for pregnant women.
In general, qualification for Medicaid depends on your household income, family size, your age and whether you have a disability. You can visit your state’s Medicaid website to see what the requirements are in your state and apply for coverage.
Unlike other types of health insurance, you don’t have to wait until an open enrollment period to get Medicaid. As long as you’re eligible, you can sign up for Medicaid coverage at any time.
Medicaid offers comprehensive health insurance coverage. Medicaid plans must provide at a minimum:
States may also offer expanded benefits, including:
One drawback of Medicaid is that fewer health care providers accept it than private health insurance. A study from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission found that about 74% of general and family medicine physicians accepted new patients insured by Medicaid. That’s compared to 96% of new patients with private health insurance.
To find a doctor or hospital that accepts Medicaid, you can contact your state’s Medicaid agency.
If you have a child, you might qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Some states also cover pregnant women in their CHIP program. This insurance program, administered by states, provides medical insurance to children in low income families that earn too much money for Medicaid but can’t afford private health insurance.
CHIP provides coverage for many of the same services that Medicaid covers, including:
Like Medicaid, you can enroll your eligible children in CHIP anytime during the year.
Medicaid and CHIP are closely related, and like Medicaid, the eligibility requirements for CHIP are different in every state. Eligibility is typically based on annual household income in relation to the federal poverty level (FPL).
There can also be different income requirements depending on the age of the child. For instance, if you live in Arizona, you can enroll a child between ages 1 to 5 if your income is below 141% of the FPL, but to enroll a child between the ages of 6 to 18, your income must be below 133% of the FPL. That means the same child may no longer be eligible as they get older.
