New Hampshire Medicaid Questions

Medicaid is a federal program that gives health insurance to those people with low income who cannot pay for private insurance or who do not have insurance through their employers. Not every person is eligible for Medicaid. Even though the program is administered by the federal government, the states collaborate with 50 percent of the contributions to the program, and therefore, Medicaid benefits and regulations may vary from state to state. The state of New Hampshire has its own rules for the Medicaid program that it offers.

Why is Medicaid different in New Hampshire than it is in other states?

• Because states cover 50 percent of the costs for Medicaid, states are given freedom in deciding who to cover and what benefits to provide for those people who are eligible to benefit from the program. Every state has its own agency in charge of the program, and there are often various offices located in different cities and counties. The central office for the New Hampshire Medicaid agency is located in Concord.

How is Medicaid eligibility in New Hampshire determined?

• The state of New Hampshire bases its decisions of eligibility on three types of requirements: general, income and medical. The state evaluate these requirements for each specific case, and it determines whether you are eligible or not. Requirements might change from benefit to benefit. For example, to receive a particular type of coverage such as "Aid to the Needy Blind," you you would need to qualify for different health requirements than you would for "Kids' Health" coverage.

What are general requirements?

• General requirements deal mostly with legal eligibility. For instance, you must be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident, you need to be considered a current resident of the state of New Hampshire and you need to have a Social Security number. Age requirements will depend upon the program for which you are applying.

What are the financial requirements?

• The state has two categories of financial requirements that it evaluates: income and resources. Depending upon the program, you might only be required to present proof of one of two categories. Income requirements include your household income. Resource requirements include your household resources such as cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, some vehicles, permanently unoccupied real estate, some types of trusts and potential income. Benefits you might be eligible to receive before receiving Medicaid that would count as part of income are also part of your resources. These include Social Security benefits, retirement benefits or pensions, unemployment or Workers' Compensation, third-party medical coverage, Veteran Benefits, and contributions from any liable third party.

What are the medical requirements?

• Some Medicaid programs for which you may apply require proof of specific medical conditions, such as blindness or a specific disease. To analyze this information, the Medicaid office looks at your medical records and other medical documentation related to a specific medical condition you have that relates to the benefit for which you are applying. Not all benefits require medical information.

How do I apply?

• Go to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services website and click on "Apply for Medicaid" > "Apply for Assistance." The website will guide you through the steps of application and the forms you need to file. After you have filed all of the forms and sent in your information, the state office will contact you to inform you of whether you have been accepted or not.