Medicaid is a program provided by the federal government that allows people with low income or low assets to receive free or heavily discounted health care. Those eligible for Medicaid programs include individuals, families, pregnant women, children in foster care, and people with disabilities. One limitation of these programs, however, is that recipients must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and a resident of the state where they are receiving Medicaid coverage.
Emergency Medicaid is a special type of Medicaid available to anyone, regardless of immigration status, who would otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for health insurance under Medicaid rules. Usually, Medicaid applications for Emergency Medicaid are submitted after care services have been rendered. As part of the application, one would need to have a letter from a provider stating information about the treatment, date of services, and specific language that the provider considers the condition an emergency medical condition.
Examples of emergencies covered by Emergency Medicaid include acute symptoms of sufficient severity that without medical treatment will result in serious impairment to bodily functions or serious dysfunction of any organ or body part. All labor and delivery services are also covered under Emergency Medicaid. Examples of medical services not covered by Emergency Medicaid include: home and community based services (HCBS), routine physician care, family planning, nursing home care and any type of long-term care, prescription drugs, and physical therapy and mental health therapy.
During the application process, some legal aliens will have to provide a Social Security Number, but undocumented persons do not. Once the application has been processed and deemed eligible, the applicant will receive Medicaid benefits for the Medicaid services performed during their emergency. It should be noted that Emergency Medicaid is not a regular health insurance program, so the only health care coverage received will be for emergency services. Items like premiums and copayments do not apply in these emergency situations.
For more information about Emergency Medicaid, visit the official website: medicaid.gov or call the phone number for your local department of Social Services.