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Colorado Medicaid Income Limits

Medicaid is a program of public health insurance, available to Colorado residents who meet certain income and resource limits. The program is administered by the state, and helps low-income residents pay for regular checkups, emergency room visits, medical tests and prescriptions. If you live in Colorado and have trouble affording medical insurance, Medicaid may be an available option.

  1. Medicaid and the FPL

    • The Medicaid income limits depend on the federal poverty level, or FPL. This number varies with family size; the larger the family, the higher the federal poverty level. For 2009 and 2010, for example, the federal poverty level was $10,830 for a family of one, and $18,310 for a family of three. Each member of the family is evaluated for Medicaid eligibility depending on how the household income compares with the FPL.

    Children

    • For children, the income limits vary with the age of the child to be covered by the Medicaid program. For a child from birth to five years of age, the family income limit is 133 percent of the federal poverty level. For a child between six and 19, the income limit is 100 percent of the federal poverty level. For example, if your child is five years of age, and you have a family of three with a household income of $20,000, the child will be eligible for Medicaid. However, at the age of six, the income limit drops for that same child, and since your income exceeds 100 percent of the FPL, the child will no longer be eligible.

    Parents and Pregnant Women

    • For parents, the income limits for Medicaid coverage are stricter. If a parent is not working, but household income still exceeds 60 percent of the FPL, then that parent is not eligible for Medicaid. For a working parent, the limit is 66 percent of the FPL. For pregnant women, the Medicaid income limit jumps to 200 percent of the FPL.

    Employment

    • If you are unemployed, but find a job, you may be eligible for transitional assistance. This is temporary Medicaid coverage that lasts for up to 12 months after the date you begin new employment. If your new job extends health insurance coverage, or if you move out of the state, then your eligibility for Medicaid in Colorado ends.

    Others Eligible for Medicaid

    • Families receiving Colorado Works, the state version of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, are also eligible, as are the blind, the elderly, persons with HIV/AIDS, and disabled persons who are earning Supplemental Security Income benefits from the Social Security Administration. Low-income individuals who are enrolled in the Medicare program may also be eligible for assistance with their Medicare premiums.

    Resource Limits

    • Remember that Colorado Medicaid also imposes resource or asset limits, which vary depending on the age and/or family situation of the Medicaid applicant. For more detailed information on these resource limits, and on the Medicaid program in general, consult the website of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

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