NEW
PROGRAM ENCOURAGES WORK WHILE KEEPING MEDICAID
The Illinois
Department of Healthcare & Family Services (formerly DPA) has
announced that Illinois has joined 28 other states in providing
Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD). The goal
of this program is to help people with disabilities return to
work but still retain their full Medicaid health care benefits.
This would not only allow enrollees to return to work but would
enable those working to increase their hours without losing
Medicaid coverage.
An individual with a disability
between the ages of 16 and 64 could qualify for HBWD. Workers
with countable income of up to $1,595 per month for a single
person and $2,138 a month for a couple may qualify for the
program. Also, unlike other Medicaid programs, enrollees may
keep up to $10,000 in assets. Depending upon their income,
enrollees pay a monthly premium ranging from $1 to $100 to
receive the full range of Medicaid services.
For more information, call the
Department's hotline at 1-800-226-0768 (TTY1-866-675-8440) or
call Pat Curtis, who is in charge of the program at:
217-558-4534. Her email address is:
AIDH20A2@idpa.state.il.us.
