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Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid
Look at AABD Medicaid if you get SSI or if:
- You are a U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant
- You have a disability or are 65 or older
- Have low income, and
- Have low resources
Is It Right for You?
Medicaid is government-funded health coverage for people in certain situations. You may qualify if you:
- Have low to moderate income, no matter how much you have in resources or whether you have a disability. Learn more about income-based Medicaid.
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Have low income and resources, and have a disability or are 65 or older, including anybody who gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or qualifies for SSI’s 1619(b) rule. Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid is explained on this page.
- Have a disability and work, even if your income is higher and your resources are higher. Learn more about Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD).
Answer the questions on this page to see if you might qualify for AABD Medicaid. If so, it’s probably your best health coverage option because it doesn’t have a premium and Medicaid covers more services than most private plans. Also, if you qualify for Medicaid, you cannot get government help paying for an individual plan on Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov.
Medicaid Rules for Immigrants
For Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizen or meet specific noncitizen requirements:
- Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage, but they may qualify for Emergency Medical Coverage. If they are 18 or younger, they may qualify for All Kids; if they are 42 to 64 years old, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults; and if they are 65 or older, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
- Most immigrants who have been lawfully present for less than five years do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage. However, they may qualify for private coverage subsidized by the government or for All Kids, Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, or Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
- Immigrants who have been lawfully present for five years or longer and some other noncitizens who meet specific noncitizen requirements, may qualify for Medicaid or other Illinois health programs.
Note: Illinois has temporarily paused new enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs.
Do You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
If you get SSI benefits, or qualify for SSI’s 1619(b) rule, which helps people who used to get SSI, you automatically qualify for Medicaid coverage:
- If you get SSI benefits, you qualify for Medicaid, but still need to fill out a Medicaid application.
- If you qualify for 1619(b), you automatically get Medicaid coverage and do not need to fill out a separate Medicaid application.
Note: For this, you must meet all other Illinois Medicaid program rules, such as living in Illinois.
If you get SSI or qualify for 1619(b), you qualify for AABD Medicaid coverage!
If not, keep reading this page to see if AABD Medicaid might still be right for you.
If You Don't Get SSI, Do You Have Very Low Income and Very Low Resources?
If you don't get SSI or qualify for 1619(b), you may still qualify for AABD Medicaid if you:
- Have a disability that meets Social Security’s adult definition of disability or are at least 65 years old.
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Have less than $17,500 in countable resources.
- Money that you have in ABLE Accounts is not counted.
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Have countable income at or below 100% of FPG ($1,255 per month if you live alone; $1,704 for couples). If your countable income is higher than 100% of FPG, you may still qualify for AABD Medicaid with a spenddown, which is discussed below.
- Important: Countable income for AABD Medicaid is not the same as countable income for SSI. To calculate your countable income for AABD Medicaid, money you spend on some things, like work expenses, day care costs, transportation, and more may be deducted.
If you have a disability, have income and resources below the limits, and meet all other program rules, AABD Medicaid might be right for you.
Tip: If you have a disability, but you have higher income or resources, you may qualify for Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD). Learn more about HBWD.
People with countable income or resources over the limit for free AABD Medicaid may qualify for AABD Medicaid with a "spenddown." With Medicaid Spenddown, you pay for some of your medical expenses each month before Medicaid starts paying for the rest.
In this way, Medicaid Spenddown is like having a monthly insurance deductible. How much you pay depends on how much you have in income or resources. Some people choose the Pay-In Spenddown option, which works a bit differently. Learn more about these options.
Tip: The spenddown amount for a person with a disability who earns money at work is often higher than the premium they'd pay to get the same Medicaid benefits through the Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) program. Learn more about HBWD.
How to Sign Up
You can apply for Medicaid, All Kids, and other Illinois programs:
- Online using the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE)
- By calling the ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154
- By downloading a paper application (also available in Spanish), filling it out, and then returning it by mail or fax to your DHS Family Community Resource Center, or
- At your local DHS Family Community Resource Center.
The ABE website answers frequently asked questions, including explaining what information you'll need to fill out an application.
Staying on Medicaid
Usually, once approved for Medicaid, you continue to qualify as long as your situation doesn’t change. If your income, immigration status, residency, or household size changes, let your DHS Family Community Resource Center know within 10 days of the change. You can do this in person, by phone, or by email. When you report your changes, the county tells you whether you continue to get Medicaid or if you have new health coverage options, like individual coverage with subsidies or HBWD.
Learn more
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Get Expert Help
How Work Affects SSI and SSDI
- Contact a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program
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Call the DHS Benefits Planning Program
1-217-588-6326 -
Call the Ticket to Work Help Line
1-866-968-7842
Medicaid
- Contact your DHS Family Community Resource Center
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Call the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Help Line
1-800-843-6154 -
Call a Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) expert
1-800-226-0768
Medicare
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Call Medicare
1-800-633-4227 -
Call the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
1-800-252-8966
Work Preparation
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Contact your local Rehabilitation Services office
1-877-581-3690 -
Contact the Bureau of Blind Services (BBS)
1-217-785-3887 - Contact your local Illinois workNet Center