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Medicaid Income Requirements in New Jersey

New Jersey, like all other U.S. states, provides qualifying residents with Medicaid, a health care service that offers affordable care to low income individuals and families. The program is federally and state funded and provides benefits to applicants based on household size, income, assets and health conditions.

  1. Income Qualifications

    • New Jersey grants Medicaid to applicants with qualifying incomes. The state determines income requirements based upon the person applying and the number of people in his household. For example, the state extends benefits to families with children who make less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The state increases this limit to 185 percent for families with infants under age one. Likewise, pregnant women must have a household income of 185 percent or less to qualify.

    Additional Eligibility

    • In addition to meeting income requirements, New Jersey Medicaid applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, as well as be a resident of the state. The state only provides benefits to qualifying pregnant women, elderly persons over age 65, permanently disabled individuals and families with dependent children age 18 or younger.

    Coverage

    • All members of New Jersey Medicaid receive coverage for inpatient and outpatient hospital services, diagnostic lab work, preventive care, office visits, home health care and family planning assistance. Medicaid may also provide other services to certain individuals, such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. These services can include dental care, optometry and hospice care.

    Apply

    • To apply for New Jersey Medicaid, visit your county welfare services division to fill out an application and meet with a case worker. You can also request delivery of an application to your home by a Medicaid case worker. When you apply, be prepared to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of New Jersey residency, household income and financial information, a list of assets and your Social Security number. If you are permanently disabled or pregnant, you must also provide proof of your condition via current medical records.

    Considerations

    • If you make too much to qualify for Medicaid, you may have access to affordable health care through other low cost programs. For example, parents can enroll children under age 19 in the S-CHIP program if household income falls between 134 and 350 percent of the federal poverty line. S-CHIP requires expense sharing between the program and covered families, but these expenses are far lower than those available through private market insurance. Additionally, the Vaccines for Children program provides free childhood immunizations through participating providers to uninsured children regardless of income.

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