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Nebraska Medicaid Income Requirements

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 58 million people were enrolled in Medicaid in 2007. Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act to provide health care coverage to low-income citizens. Each state oversees its individual Medicaid program and receives federal funding to help meet the needs of its residents. In Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers the Medicaid program.

  1. Federal Poverty Level

    • Nebraska's Medicaid eligibility is determined by the federal poverty level (FPL) and the resident's income level. The FPL is set by the DHHS each year (see Resources). In 2010, the FPL for a one-person household was $10,830. For a two-person family, the FPL was $14,570. For each additional person, the FPL increases by $3,740.

    Children

    • Nebraska provides Medicaid coverage for children under a number of different circumstances. Unemployed parents and other adult caretakers can receive assistance to cover the full costs of a child's medical care under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This program also provides limited Medicaid coverage to the adult. To be eligible, income limits must be 40 to 50 percent of the FPL.

      Medical assistance is also available to parents for children from birth to age 1 whose income is less than 150 percent of the FPL and for children from ages 1 to 5 when the family income is less than 133 percent of the FPL. Parents of children from ages 6 to 18 can receive Medicaid if their income is less than 100 percent of the FPL.

    Pregnant Women

    • A pregnant woman can receive Medicaid assistance if her family income is less than 185 percent of the FPL. She can remain on Medicaid for up to 60 days after the birth of the baby. When the baby is born, it can remain on Medicaid for the first 12 months of life as long as the family income remains at less than 185 percent of the FPL.

    Aged, Blind and Disabled

    • Nebraska provides Medicaid coverage to residents over the age of 65 and those who are blind and disabled according to the Social Security Administration's definitions. To be eligible, monthly income cannot exceed $674 for an individual or $1,011 for a couple. If the individual or couple's income is at or below 100 percent of the FPL, Medicaid will cover the full costs of medical care.

      Residents who are aged, blind or disabled, but who do not meet the previous income requirements, may also receive Medicaid assistance if the majority of their incomes goes to pay medical expenses. In this case, the individual or couple's income could not exceed $392 a month.

    Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings

    • Under the Every Woman Matters program, low-income women in Nebraska can receive free breast or cervical cancer screenings. A woman who is found to need treatment as a result of a screening can receive Medicaid assistance if her income is below 225 percent of the FPL.

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