Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities (MEPD Program)

Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities (MEPD) is a Medicaid coverage group implemented to allow persons with disabilities to work and continue to have access to medical assistance. A brochure of the following text in MS Word format may be downloaded by clicking here.

Are you eligible?
To qualify:

1. You must be disabled. If you receive the following you will be considered disabled for MEPD:

• Supplemental Security Income because you are disabled;
• Social Security Disability; or if your
• Social Security Disability benefits have stopped due to earned income but you continue to be eligible for Medicare.
•  If you are not receiving these benefits you may also qualify as disabled if your disability meets the medical criteria used to establish disability for benefits administered by the Social Security Administration. The Department of Human Services will make a determination about your medical impairments.

2. You must be under age 65.
3. You must have earned income from employment of self-employment.
4. Monthly net family income must be less than 250% of the federal poverty level for your family size. 250% of the federal poverty level for a family size of one is currently $1,846 per month. Net income is your gross family income less exclusions and disregards
5. You will be required to pay a monthly premium when your monthly gross income is above 150% of the federal poverty level (currently $1,108). (Premiums are calculated based only on the gross income or the disabled individual.) Premiums must be paid before you can receive Medicaid.
6. Your countable resources must be $12,000 or less for an individual and $13,000 or less for a couple.

Some resources are exempt from consideration for all SSI-related Medicaid coverage groups.

There are additional resources that are exempt from consideration for eligibility for MEPD. They are:

• Retirement accounts such as simplified employee pension plans, self-employment pension plans, Keogh plans, individual retirement accounts, Roth individual retirement accounts, savings incentive matched plans for employees and similar plans for retirement.
• Funds in assistive technology accounts, which are funds saved for the purchase, lease or acquisition of assistive technology, assistive technology devices, or assistive technology services. To be exempt a physician, certified vocational rehabilitation counselor, licensed physical therapist, licensed speech therapist, or licensed occupational therapist must establish the need for such technology and that the technology can reasonably be expected to enhance the individual's employment.
• Funds placed in a medical savings account that is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to Section 220 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 220).

7. You must meet all other eligibility criteria for SSI-related Medicaid.

8. You will receive a Notice of Decision that will tell you the amount of your premium and the six-month premium period.
9. A set premium amount is established for six months at a time.

• The premium amount cannot be increased due to an increase in income in the six-month period.
• The premium amount can be decreased if income goes down.