The Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion in New Jersey changed the eligibility rules for residents seeking affordable healthcare within the state. In 2012, an ACA Medicaid expansion was enacted, and states were given the opportunity to either accept the expansion or reject the expansion and continue on with the basic Medicaid coverage options. New Jersey was one of the 31 states that opted to expand the Affordable Care Act Medicaid eligibility rules, which has greatly benefited the state since. Many applicants already established in the program wondered, “What is the expansion of Medicaid, and will I be affected?” In truth, the ACA expansion of Medicaid only affected new applicants who had not yet received benefits, or who had not yet submitted applications. Obamacare Medicaid expansion details were given to each state so that the departments could understand what the new program meant, as well as so they could see how the budget for the expansion would influence their states. Luckily for New Jersey residents, the state chose to go forward with the Affordable Care Act expansion for Medicaid, which has yielded positive results. So, what is the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, exactly? The new ACA Medicaid eligibility rules expanded Medicaid qualifications for thousands of New Jersey residents who did not otherwise find approval under the old Medicaid program. For those wondering exactly how the ACA expansion of Medicaid benefitted New Jersey, continue reviewing the sections provided below.
Learn About the ACA Medicaid Expansion in New Jersey
Many petitioners heard about the ACA Medicaid expansion in New Jersey, as it was news that swept the nation in 2012. Potential applicants who were wondering what the Medicaid expansion was found answers once their states officially participated. For instance, New Jersey Obamacare expansion details were necessary for new petitioners to learn before beginning the Affordable Care Act Medicaid application. States who decided to opt in for Medicaid ACA expansion typically did so because they had the budget to participate. For states that opted out of the expansion, it often had to do with budgetary restrictions, as the costs for the expansion were quite high. New Jersey seemingly weighed the pros and cons of the ACA Medicaid expansion cost to states, and decided that expanding Medicaid benefits would be what their residents needed, thus presenting Medicaid coverage to a wider range of patients.
What does opting in for the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion mean for New Jersey?
So, what does the acceptance of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion in New Jersey mean for residents? Ultimately, the ACA Medicaid expansion increased the number of applicants covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by almost 500,000 petitioners. In conjunction, the Medicaid Affordable Care Act expansion reduced the number of uninsured residents from 2013 to 2015 by 35 percent. New Jersey utilized the federal funding and provisions provided by the ACA expansion for Medicaid, which resulted in major gains for new, eligible Medicaid applicants. The difference with the Affordable Care Act eligibility for Medicaid comes in the income levels allowed. Originally, the income levels for Medicaid coverage were below 132 percent, yet the expansion allowed adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty rate to apply for coverage. In addition, ACA expansion for Medicaid also now covers pregnant women with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty rate, and children eligible for Medicaid with household incomes up to 350 percent of the poverty rate.
What was most important for the Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid in New Jersey was that more adults were receiving coverage than ever before. Applicants who were not approved for coverage before should double check with the Medicaid program again to see if, perhaps the eligibility requirements have expanded in their favor. Applicants will find the ACA Medicaid application to be the same as the original application, except with different income requirements.
What happens if the ACA Medicaid Expansion is repealed in New Jersey?
There are current concerns that the ACA Medicaid Expansion program in New Jersey will be redacted under the Trump Administration. Unfortunately, if the affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion is terminated, then hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents will lose the coverage that has been allotted to them under the new healthcare rules. If the ACA expansion for Medicaid is repealed without a replacement program in place, the requirements for Medicaid will revert back to what was originally allotted prior to 2012.
Download our guide to read more about the ACA Medicaid expansion.