Kerry and ACA Healthcare Eligibility
Background
Kerry* was an immigration client whose status was in deferred action. Kerry was not eligible for Medicaid as she was required to be a qualified immigrant for at least five years. Nevertheless, since she was lawfully present, Kerry should have been able to qualify for subsidies in the Health Insurance Marketplace.
U.S. citizens with low income are not eligible for Marketplace subsidies because the Marketplace assumes they should be eligible for Medicaid. However, since Kerry was not eligible for Medicaid due to her immigration status, she was in fact eligible for an exception which allowed her to qualify for the subsidies.
Assistance
While we ordinarily send our clients to enrollment assistants, this type of exception can be tricky. Kerry was computer savvy, so we advised her to apply herself and to count on our assistance in the process as well as reviewing her application.
We provided Kerry with all the necessary information. We advised Kerry that although she had her immigration number, the Marketplace would require that she upload a copy of the physical document. For verification of income purposes, since Kerry did not have any income, we advised her to provide letters of support from anyone helping her financially.
In order to enroll, she needed to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Because she recently acquired her immigration status, we advised Kerry she would qualify for this SEP once the Marketplace verified her immigration documentation.
Why It Matters
Kerry did a wonderful job applying to the Marketplace herself. She received the SEP and was able to enroll in a Florida Blue plan and Delta Dental. Needles to say, this was a big relief for Kerry!