Ohio Medicaid Income Limits – 2021

The Medicaid Income Limit is the most important criteria for deciding whether you qualify for Medicaid in your state. In this post, we are going to explain in detail the Ohio Medicaid Income Limits for 2021.

Based on this information, you will be able to determine whether your income qualifies you for Ohio Medicaid or not.

However, before we get into details about the income limit, we will first explain the Medicaid program in Ohio and how it works.

Next, we will discuss who is eligible for Medicaid, including how eligibility works for various categories, including Children, Pregnant Women, and Adults.

What is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a federal and state health insurance program for people with a low income.

It provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers health coverage to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage.

How Many People are on Medicaid?

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as of November 2020, here are the number of people enrolled in Medicaid and Chip in the entire United States:

• 78,521,263 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
• 72,204,587 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid
• 6,695,834 individuals were enrolled in CHIP

Ohio Medicaid

The Ohio Medicaid program provides medical coverage to low-income individuals and families.

As of 2020, the program, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covered 2.9 million people.

This includes 1.25 million children as shown by the image below.

The Medicaid program in Ohio is run by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Who Can Get Medicaid in Ohio?

You should apply for Medicaid if your income is low and you match one of the descriptions below:

• You think you are pregnant
• The parent or caretaker of a child and/or teenager under the age of 19.
• You are a child or teenager age 18 or under.
• An adult age 65 or older.
• You are legally blind.
• Living with a disability or disabled.
• You are in need of nursing home care.

Ohio Medicaid Income Limit

The Ohio Medicaid Income Limit is calculated as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Line.

To qualify, you must meet the Ohio Medicaid Income limits listed below.

Here is the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for 2021.

Additionally, to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot make more than the income guidelines outlined below:

• Children up to age 1 with family income up to 206 percent of FPL
• Any child age 1-5 with a family income up to 206 percent of FPL
• Children ages 6- 18 with family income up to 206 percent of FPL
• CHIP for children with family income up to 206 percent of FPL
• Pregnant women with family income up to 200 percent of FPL
• Parents of minor children with family income up to 90 percent of FPL
• Individuals who are elderly, blind, and disabled with family income up to 74% of the FPL
• Adults without dependents under Medicaid expansion with income up to 133% of the FPL

Ohio Medicaid Income Limit Charts

The Ohio Medicaid eligibility income limit charts are divided by groups.

For example, the first chart is focused on income limits for children who qualify for Medicaid.

Similarly, the second chart below focuses on the Medicaid income limits for adults in Ohio who qualify for Medicaid.

Ohio Medicaid Income Limit for Children 

Below is the income limit for children by age category. Find the age category your child falls into and you will see the income limit by household size.

Next is the income limit for adults by category. Find the category you fall into and you will see the income limit by household size.

Ohio has expanded Medicaid to include adults without dependents.

Therefore, adults without dependents can apply for Medicaid in Ohio.

For an update on the Medicaid expansion debate and timeline in Ohio, see our Ohio Expansion update below.

Ohio Medicaid Income Limit for Adults

How to Read the Ohio Medicaid Income Limits Charts Above

You cannot have an income higher than the Federal Poverty Level percentage described for your group to be eligible for Medicaid.

Similarly, when you identify the income group that applies to you, the income limit you see refers to the maximum level of income you can earn to qualify for benefits.

For example, if you are pregnant, to qualify for Medicaid, you cannot have an income higher than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level – which for a family of two is  $34,840 as shown in the chart above.

How to Apply for Ohio Medicaid

There are 3 ways you can apply for Medicaid in Ohio.

Option 1 – Apply online

You can apply online through the Benefits.ohio.gov Portal – as shown in the image below.

If you have an account, you can log in or create your Benefits.ohio.gov account. Click here to be taken to the website.

Option 2 – Apply at JFS Office Near You

You can apply in person at the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (JFS) office near you. Click here to locate a JFS office.

Option 3 – Download Ohio Food Stamps Application

You can download an application, complete it, and mail it to your county JFS office or submit it in person.

Ohio Medicaid Phone Number

Here’s how to contact the Ohio Medicaid Agency:

For Medicaid Applicant & Member Services

Medicaid Providers

Call the provider hotline at 1-800-686-1516.

Ohio Medicaid Expansion Update

Governor Kasich announced in early 2013 that Ohio would expand Medicaid under the ACA.

Ohio lawmakers who were opposed to Medicaid expansion brought a lawsuit against the Kasich administration in an effort to block expansion.

Ultimately, in late 2013, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of Governor Kasich, and Medicaid expansion took effect as scheduled in 2014.

As of June 2019, there were 526,100 Ohio residents enrolled in expanded Medicaid.

Additionally, during the 2015 legislative session, lawmakers agreed to allow Medicaid expansion to continue as a part of a budget agreement.

Therefore, there was no separate legislation on Medicaid expansion.

Ohio’s Medicaid work requirement waiver was approved in 2019 but has been delayed due to COVID.

Ohio Medicaid Income Limits Summary

We hope this post on Ohio Medicaid Income Limits was helpful to you.

If you have any questions about Medicaid in the state of Ohio, you can ask us in the comments section below.

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Be sure to check out our other articles about Medicaid.
Income limits for Florida Medicaid
Alabama Medicaid Income Limits and How to Apply
Alaska Medicaid Income Limits and Chart
Oklahoma SoonerCare Income Limits