Non-MAGI Medicaid Income & Deeming

Disabled, elderly, and blind applicants for Medicaid are determined according to “non-MAGI” eligibility rules.  These are different from the MAGI eligibility rules applied to most non-disabled, non-elderly applicants.

Non-MAGI Medicaid applicants must meet eligibility requirements with respect to (1) RI State residence, (2) citizenship or immigration status, (3) income, and (4) savings or resources.

This article is only about the income eligibility requirement.

Non-MAGI Income Limit

The income limit for non-MAGI Medicaid in Rhode Island is 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL).  In 2018, that limit is $1,012 per month for an individual and  $1,372 per month for a couple.

Non-MAGI Income Counting Rules

Non-MAGI income-counting rules are very different than MAGI rules.  Unearned and earned income are treated differently, and income can be “deemed” from one spouse to another.

This training from the RI Disability Law Center (May 2018) explains.  (This answer key to the examples helps too.)

For more details, the federal regulations on income counting for SSI are helpful.  The State uses the same rules to count income for non-MAGI Medicaid, and the federal regulations are very clear and well-organized.

The following provisions may be particularly useful: