Changes to the Treatment of Income and Deductions for Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Medical Assistance (MA), PMA19301312 (Published March 1, 2019)
Notice of End of Coverage for the Postpartum Period, PMN19268312 (Published February 7, 2019)
Income Calculation for Quarterly Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Wage Hits, PMA19110312 (Published September 21, 2018)
Former Foster Care determination and YDC, PMA18936312 (Published July 11, 2018)
"S" Corporation Income, PMA18469312 (Revised June 14, 2018)
Closing Medical Assistance (MA) for Children under Four at Renewal, PMA 18891312 (Published April 24, 2018)
Care and control indicator for children for MA, PMA18879312 (Published April 12, 2018)
Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) Reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Individuals, OPS161201 (Published December 6, 2016)
Medical Assistance Program Changes due to the Introduction of Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, OPS160305 (Published March 10, 2016)
Effective January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) changed Medical Assistance (MA) rules in Pennsylvania. Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is the new income methodology used for determining MA eligibility for children through age 18, parents (biological, adoptive or step), caretakers, pregnant women and adults ages 19-64.
MA rules have not changed for individuals whose eligibility is determined on the basis other than MAGI:
Individuals for whom income determinations are not required, such as individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), federal foster care or adoption assistance recipients or recipients of Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment (BCCPT) services.
Individuals whose eligibility is based on being 65 or older, disabled or blind.
Individuals evaluated for Medically Needy Only (MNO).
Individuals evaluated for Long Term Care (LTC) facility services or Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).
Individuals eligible for Medicare cost sharing.
Individuals evaluated for General Assistance (GA) related MA.
The MA category MG is used to identify the majority of MAGI-related budget groups, (See Chapter 305, Appendix E: Medical Assistance Cascade Table). Individuals receiving category MG 305 will be assigned a program status code based on the coverage group.
MAGI categories and program status codes:
MG00 - Pregnant women and children (under age 1) with income at or below 215 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG), children (ages 1-5) with income at or below 157 percent of the FPIG and children (ages 6-18) with income at or below 133 percent of the FPIG.
MG18 - Pregnant women and children under 1 who are eligible for extended medical coverage despite an increase in income over 215 percent of the FPIG.
MG19 - Children age 6-18 with income between 100 percent and 133 percent of the FPIG who were previously eligible under CHIP but are now eligible for MA.
PMA17994312 MG19 Eligibility Criteria May 2, 2016
MG27 - Individuals with income at or below 33 percent of the FPIG. Individuals could be parents/caretakers and children ages 0-17, or children age 18, if they are a full-time secondary or vocational student.
MG71 - Individuals eligible for Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA)
MG91 - Individuals ages 19-64 with income at or below 133 percent of the FPIG and are not eligible for Medicare.
MG90 - Individuals ages 19-64 with a permanent disability (MRT or SSA verified) with income at or below 102 percent of the FPIG and are not eligible for Medicare or individuals ages 19-20 with income at or below the Medically Needy Only (MNO) limit and are not eligible for Medicare.
PMA17942312 Income Limits for the MG 90 N Category March 29, 2016
PMA18053312 No MG 91 and MG 90 Eligibility for Individuals Entitled to Medicare June 7, 2016
PC40 - Former foster care recipients.
PSF15 - Individuals with income at or below 215 percent of the FPIG who only receive Family Planning Services (FPS) and were first evaluated for MA.
PSF14 - Individuals with income at or below 215 percent of the FPIG who only receive FPS and were not reviewed for MA because they claimed "good cause" or were under 21 and only wanted to be reviewed for FPS or are under 21 and are over income for PSF15 using MAGI net income.
MAGI-related budget groups are built using the following target types:
NOTE: MG91 (except MG91P), PC40, PSF15 and PSF14 are built with no target types.
The CAO must decide who can get MA using the rules in this chapter and the following chapters:
Medical Assistance Eligibility Handbooks
NOTE: The client must report changes in gross monthly earned income of more than $100 and of gross monthly unearned income of more than $50. All other changes, including new sources of income, must continue to be reported.
Supplemental Handbook
Supplemental Handbook Chapter 870 Appeal and Fair Hearing
Chapter 910 Overpayment Recovery.
PO17680910 MA Overpayment and Family Planning Services Sept 4,2015
Supplemental Handbook Chapter 950. Enumeration
Chapter 980 Voter Registration
A pregnant woman or a qualified child up to age 1 can get MAGI-related MA if household income is equal to or less than 215 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG) for the household size (See Appendix D).
The pregnant woman, once approved, continues to be eligible for MA coverage through the end of the month in which the 60 day post- partum period ends, regardless of her income. The newborn whose mother was getting MA or CHIP at the time of birth can get MA coverage up to age one, regardless of the parents’ income, per the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA).
NOTE: If the CAO did not know about the pregnancy and learns that cash or MA benefits were closed during the pregnancy, it must approve MA coverage from the date of the closing through the last day of the month in which the 60-day postpartum period ends.
NOTE: If a pregnant woman or the parent/caretaker of a child under 1 requests in writing that the MA case be closed, the case can be closed.
When a provider or other outside source asks for MA benefits for a child under age one, the CAO must review the family’s case record to see if Cash or MA or CHIP benefits were open for the mother at any time during the pregnancy. If so, the CAO must authorize MA benefits for the child from the date of birth until the first birthday.
A qualified child age 1-5 can receive MAGI-related MA if household income is equal to or less than 157 percent of the FPIG for the household size (See Appendix C).
A qualified child age 6 - 18 can receive MAGI-related MA if household income is equal to or less than 133 percent of the FPIG for the household size (See Appendix B).
If a child age 6-18 has income under 100 percent of the FPIG for the household size, MG00 would be assigned.
If the child age 6-18 has income between 100 percent and 133 percent of the FPIG, MG19 is assigned.
For a child age 18, student status will impact the program status code that is assigned. An 18 year old can be eligible as MG27 if they meet all eligibility criteria and he or she has the following student status:
Full-time secondary student, or
Full-time vocational/technical school student
If the 18 year old does not have the above student status, MG00 or MG19 can be assigned if all other eligibility criteria are met.
A parent (biological, adoptive or step) or caretaker can receive MAGI-related MA. The following criteria must be met:
Have care and control of a child age 0-17 or age 18 and a full-time secondary or vocational/ technical school (vo-tech) student.
Have household income equal to or less than 33 percent of the FPIG (See Appendix A).
NOTE: Individuals other than parents with care and control of a child in the MAGI-related household can be caretakers, if the parent is not living in the household. For MAGI-related MA, an individual does not need to be related to the child to be a specified relative in the parent/caretaker category. Caretakers are individuals age 19 or older.
NOTE: If no parents are taking care and control of the child in a household, only one non-parent caretaker is a valid target. If multiple non-parent caretakers are present in the household, only one caretaker will be selected in order of age, oldest to youngest.
Individuals age 19-64 can receive MAGI-related MA if household income is equal to or less than 133 percent of the FPIG for the household size (See Appendix B).
If an individual age 19-20 has income at or below the MNO limit, the individual will be assigned category/program status code/target type of MG90N.
If an individual 19-64 has a permanent disability (SSA or MRT certified), has income at or below 102 percent of the FPIG, and is not eligible for Medicare, the individual will be assigned category/program status code/target type of MG90D.
All other individuals 19-64 will be assigned category/program status code MG91.
If a woman between the ages of 19-64 is receiving MG90 or MG91 and reports a pregnancy, she will be opened in MG90P or MG91P respectively, and she will remain in MG90P or MG91P until the end of her postpartum period or until the renewal is processed, whichever is sooner.
NOTE: For MG90 and MG91, the individual must not be eligible for or receiving Medicare.
See Chapter 338, Medical Assistance Benefits for information about MA benefits.
The CAO does not consider resources when deciding an individual's eligibility in a MAGI-related MA category.
Updated September 21, 2018, Replacing August 30, 2018