Mississippi Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment
- Find out everything there is to know about Medicaid for older adults in Mississippi, including enrollment information, coverage allowances and eligibility.
Low-income families and individuals who are unable to handle the cost of health care on their own may qualify for Medicaid coverage. Medicaid is administered by each state with the support of the federal government. It can help its beneficiaries pay for necessary health care services and in some cases, preventative care.
The information below discusses the most important things seniors need to know about Medicaid in Mississippi, including details about coverage inclusions and eligibility.
What Is Mississippi Medicaid?
Mississippi Medicaid is operated jointly by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the federal government. It helps low-income populations throughout the state access quality health care services from qualified providers. Instead of providing reimbursements to the program's beneficiaries, Mississippi Medicaid pays health care providers directly for the services they provide.
While traditional Medicaid covers services like primary care and hospitalization, there are several waivers in Mississippi that amend the program's coverage inclusions, allowing seniors to access additional supports for long-term care in the home or in senior care facilities.
What Does Mississippi Medicaid Cover?
In Mississippi, traditional Medicaid exists to cover necessary medical services. That includes things such as:
- Visits to a primary care physician
- Inpatient or outpatient care in a hospital setting
- Prescription medications
- Emergency medical transportation
Seniors who require additional support and services may need to apply for Medicaid waiver programs. All waiver programs are subject to their own eligibility requirements. Below, we discuss those that are most commonly accessed by older adults.
Assisted Living Waiver
Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver is open to aged, blind and disabled persons who are unable to perform instrumental activities of daily living and require care in a residential setting. It provides services such as case management, personal care, medication management and administration, social recreational programming and intermittent skilled nursing.
Elderly & Disabled Waiver
Similar to the Assisted Living Waiver, the Elderly & Disabled Waiver provides care for aged, blind and disabled persons who are unable to care for themselves independently. However, this waiver is intended to help those who live at home and require home health services and those who need institutional care.
Independent Living Waiver
The Mississippi Medicaid Independent Living Waiver helps individuals with severe orthopedic or neurological impairments to access in-home care services such as case management, personal care and transition assistance. This program also helps its beneficiaries pay for renovations to the home when they improve accessibility and necessary medical devices.
Who Is Eligible for Medicaid in Mississippi?
To qualify for regular Medicaid in Mississippi, individuals must be citizens of the United States or qualified aliens. Additionally, they must be full-time residents of Mississippi. Financially, seniors who wish to receive Medicaid must be 65 years old or older to qualify for aged, blind and disabled benefits and must meet the program's financial requirements. In Mississippi, that means seniors must earn no more than $794 per month and may not possess more than $2,000 in countable assets ($3,000 for couples).
When it comes to Home and Community-Based Service waivers and institutional Medicaid, seniors have a little more wiggle room with their income. In these programs, seniors may earn a total of $2,382 per month in income and retain up to $4,000 in countable assets — those numbers are doubled for married couples when both spouses apply.
How Do I Enroll in Medicaid in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, there are several ways to apply for Medicaid:
- Online at Mississippi Medicaid or gov
- By faxing the application form to (601) 576-4164
- By mailing the application to a regional office
- In-person at any regional Mississippi Medicaid office
Contact Information for Mississippi Medicaid
Questions about Mississippi Medicaid can be directed to the Division of Medicaid by calling (800) 421-2408.
