Pregnancy Medicaid Ga Phone Number

How To Check To See If I Have Active Medicaid In Georgia

Medicaid is a government program that helps low-income Americans pay for healthcare. However, Medicaid eligibility and benefits vary by state, and it’s important to check your Medicaid status if you are planning to have some health expenses. It’s also a good idea to check if your Medicaid benefits are active on a regular basis so you are prepared if there is a medical emergency. In the state of Georgia, there are several ways to check your Medicaid status.

How Long Will My Child Be Covered Under His/her Medicaid Plan How Do I Renew My Childs Coverage

Medicaid is based on month to month eligibility, but benefits are reevaluated on a yearly basis for aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid, and every six months for family Medicaid. The GA Division of Family and Children Services will confirm whether your child/children remain eligible for the program they have.

You will receive a review form in the mail with instructions be sure to return the review form by the date shown or your child/children may lose their benefits.

Pregnancy / Womens Health Medicaid

Presumptive Eligibility Medicaid for Pregnant Women and Womens Health Medicaid

Q. Where do I go to apply for Medicaid?A. There are several ways to apply for Medicaid and other medical assistance programs:

• You can find out if you qualify for Medicaid or other medical assistance and social service programs by speaking with a representative at your local DFCS office. Call the DFCS information line at 877-423-4746 to be directed to the appropriate office where someone can help you. For a list of DFCS locations and address, phone, fax numbers in your county click the following link: www.dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov, click on County Offices, next click on Complete List of All County offices.
• To apply for Medicaid, you can submit a completed signed application online at Georgia Gateway, or you may print a Medicaid application and submit the completed signed application at any local DFCS office, in person, by mail, telephone, fax or email. Click on the following links to complete and print your application.

Also Check: Difference Between Obamacare And Medicaid

Financial Documents And Resources

Provide checking and savings account statements, annuities, money market accounts, property deeds , Certificates of Deposit , retirement accounts , motor vehicle title/value , mortgage loan, stock or bond accounts, property proceeds, HUD-1, prepaid funeral contract, burial plot details, life insurance policies , or special needs trusts.

Who Is Eligible For Medicaid In Georgia

As of April 2020, criteria for enrollment in Georgia Medicaid are set at the following levels for non-disabled adults:

• Children up to age 1 with family income up to 205% of federal poverty level
• Children ages 1-5 with family income up to 149% of FPL
• Children ages 6-18 with family income up to 133% of FPL
• Pregnant women with family income up to 220% of FPL
• Parents of minor children with family income up to 35% of FPL

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Benefits Of Medicaid For Pregnant Women

First, you will be given a list of medical providers who accept Medicaid or given a website to look for a provider in your area.

Second, pregnant women are covered for all care related to the pregnancy, delivery and any complications that may occur during pregnancy and up to 60 days postpartum.

Third, as long as you receive care from a Medicaid provider, your health care costs will be submitted through Medicaid and will be covered, in accordance with Medicaid regulations and guidelines.

Finally, Medicaid usually gives Pregnant women priority in determining Medicaid eligibility. Most offices try to qualify a pregnant woman within about 2-4 weeks.

If you need medical treatment before then, talk with your local office about PE Medicaid as explained above.

Georgia Medicaid Member Copays

Some Georgia Medicaid members pay a copay for services. There are no copays for preventive care, family planning services, emergency services, or dialysis services except as listed below:

These Georgia Medicaid members do not have copays for covered care:

• Members under the age of 21
• Pregnant women
• Members in hospice care
• Members in the Breast and Cervical Cancer program
• American Indian or Alaska Natives

Recommended Reading: Dental Places That Accept Medicaid

Medicaid Coverage Available To Pregnant Women

Georgia currently has two programs which cover pregnant women: Right from the Start Medicaid and the Medically Needy Program.

Before we explain what the two programs are about, you should first look into Presumptive Eligibility Medicaid. This program can provide you with temporary Medicaid coverage right away while you apply for Medicaid benefits.

See If Your Children Qualify And Apply For Chip

Each state program has its own rules about who qualifies for CHIP. You can apply right now, any time of year, and find out if you qualify. If you apply for Medicaid coverage to your state agency, youll also find out if your children qualify for CHIP. If they qualify, you won’t have to buy an insurance plan to cover them.

Read Also: Does Missouri Medicaid Cover Assisted Living

Georgias History With Medicaid Expansion

As of May 2020, 23% of Georgia residents were uninsured the state has the fourth highest uninsured rate in the U.S. Georgia is leaving billions of dollars on the table and over half a million people without Medicaid coverage by passing up federal funding to expand Medicaid.

Two laws designed to make expansion difficult were enacted during the 2014 legislative session. HB 990 prohibits Medicaid expansion without legislative approval , while HB 943 prohibits state and local employees from advocating for Medicaid expansion.

By the spring of 2016, Medicaid expansion began to seem within reach in Georgia, fueled in part by support from hospitals facing severe financial challenges. The state has raised Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, including OB-GYNs in the state, in an effort to keep providers solvent and able to accept Medicaid patients. And Republican lawmakers began indicating that they might be open to a privatized version of Medicaid expansion, like the model used in Arkansas.

However, there was no real progress on Medicaid expansion in Georgia until the partial expansion proposal was announced in 2019. Governor Brian Kemp, who took office in 2019, has been steadfastly opposed to full Medicaid expansion, although he views the Georgia Pathways program as a conservative compromise aimed at helping people who are working but not able to afford health coverage.

Georgia Has Not Accepted Federal Medicaid Expansion

• 2,159,944 Number of Georgians covered by Medicaid/CHIP as of May 2021
• 678,000 Number of additional Georgia residents who would be covered if the state accepted expansion
• 269,000 Number of people who have NO realistic access to health insurance without Medicaid expansion
• $3.5 billion Federal money Georgia is leaving on the table in 2022 by not expanding Medicaid

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Early Periodic Screening Diagnostic & Treatment

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit includes a comprehensive array of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services for Medicaid eligible infants, children and adolescents under age 21, as specified in Section 1905 of the Social Security Act . The EPSDT benefit is also available to PeachCare for Kids® members up to 19 years of age. The EPSDT benefit is designed to assure that children receive early detection and care, so that health problems are averted or diagnosed and treated as early as possible. The goal of the EPSDT benefit is to assure that individual children get the health care they need when they need it.

The EPSDT benefit also covers medically necessary diagnostic services. When a screening examination indicates the need for further evaluation of a childs health, the child should be appropriately referred for diagnosis without delay. States are required to arrange for and cover under the EPSDT benefit any Medicaid covered service listed in Section 1905 of the Act if that treatment or service is determined to be medically necessary to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses or conditions for children through age 20 years of age.

Reviewing your Health Check Record

Billing Tips for Health Check

Health Check Referral Codes

Vision Screening

Ways To Apply For Chip:

• Fill out an application through the Health Insurance Marketplace®. If it looks like anyone in your household qualifies for Medicaid or CHIP, well send your information to your state agency. Theyll contact you about enrollment. When you submit your Marketplace application, youll also find out if you qualify for an individual insurance plan with savings based on your income instead. Create an account or log in to an existing account to get started.

FYI: Apply any time

You can apply for and enroll in Medicaid or CHIP any time of year. Theres no limited enrollment period for either Medicaid or CHIP. If you qualify, your coverage can start immediately.

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How Many People Are Enrolled In Medicaid And Chip

According to Medicaid.gov, more than 71 million people are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of September 2017. About 68 million are Medicaid beneficiaries and about 6 million are CHIP beneficiaries:

• Sixteen million additional beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP benefits .
• Child beneficiaries of the Medicaid program and beneficiaries enrolled in CHIP account for about half of Medicaid/CHIP programs total enrollment.
• The number of beneficiaries receiving Medicaid and CHIP changes from month to month. About 144,000 more beneficiaries were enrolled in August 2017 vs. September 2017.

What Income Level Must I Have To Qualify For Medicaid

The answer to this question isit depends on where you live.If your residential state expanded Medicaid during the Obama administration, you may qualify for Medicaid based on your income. If your Medicaid Office didnt expand its program, existing rules are used to determine your eligibility. Your family statuse.g. caring for a young child/children or pregnancy, annual income, family/household size, age, disability, and other criteria are considered.Each familys needs and situation differ. Complete a Medicaid application to learn if you qualify.

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Who Are The Managed Care Organizations

Amerigroup Corporation

Credentialing Process

DCH is in the process of revising its credentialing process and will begin to announce these changes as they occur. Current plans are to utlize HP to work with an NCQA approved vendor to manage the credentialing process. for details.

Checking Medicaid CMO Eligibility

With the implementation of HB 1234 in 2008, there have been some changes to the way you verify member eligibility. Previously, you would go to the CMOs websites to determine eligibility by plan affiliation however, due to the bill the only acceptable verification of plan affiliation for a member is via the GHP web portal. You may notice that all the CMOs have a link to the GHP web port for plan affiliation verification. You may still utilize the CMO eligibility verification for PCP assignment.

Who is eligible for the Georgia Families Managed Care Program?

Individuals who are eligible to enroll in Georgia Families include low-income families, children, and pregnant women, women eligible for Medicaid due to cervical cancer and PeachCare for Kids to managed care. Aged, Blind and Disabled population are included in the managed care program at this time. Children in foster care must opt out in order to not be transfered to Amerigroups Georgia Family 360.

For Members In Medicaid Or Peachcare For Kids

Georgia Families gives you choices for your health care! Choose a health plan and a Primary Care Provider for each member in your family who is in Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids®.

Alert: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, in person visits are not currently available.

As soon as you become a member of Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids® you will be enrolled into a health plan. If you do not want the health plan we chose for you, you can change to another health plan. You will have 90 days from the start date of your health plan to change. You can change your health plan in one of these three ways:

Learn more about:

• Contacts: Georgia Families, Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids®, Family & Children Services offices, health plans

Also Check: Eye Exam Places That Take Medicaid

How Does Medicaid Provide Financial Help To Medicare Beneficiaries In Georgia

Many Medicare beneficiaries receive assistance from Medicaid with Medicare premiums, prescription drug costs, and expenses not covered by Medicare including long-term care.

Our guide to financial assistance for Medicare enrollees in Georgia includes overviews of these programs, including Medicaid nursing home benefits, Extra Help, and eligibility guidelines for assistance.

Medicaid Application Process In Georgia

Benefits.gov explains that in order to be eligible for Medicaid in Georgia, you must meet a number of criteria, and the Understanding Medicaid booklet provided by the state of Georgia enumerates how to provide documentation of meeting these criteria on page 15. It also contains lots of other helpful information that you might find useful.

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To qualify, you must be a Georgia resident and also a citizen of the United States, or a U.S. national, permanent resident or legal alien. You must also be in need of health care or insurance assistance and have a household income below a certain threshold .

Finally, while some states extend Medicaid benefits to all low-income residents, in Georgia you must also meet at least one more criterion. These are being pregnant or responsible for a child under 18, being blind or having a disability or family member in your household with a disability or being 65 or older.

Read Also: What Is Medicaid Buy In Program

How Can Your Patients Can Enroll In Georgia Families

Maximus, the enrollment broker for GA Families, works with Medicaid members who are eligible to participate in the GF program. Members are encouraged to do the following to enroll:

Once a member has enrolled into a plan, they will have 90 calendar days to change their health plan or PCP. After the 90-day period, they will not be able to make any changes to their health plan affiliation without cause until the open enrollment period begins the following year.

To assist you and your patient in the enrollment process, there are a few thing you should know:

Maximus has also developed a brochure and CMO comparison sheet that you can download from their website for distribution to your patients in the office.

Providers can tell their patients which plans they are participating with, but they cannot advise their patients which plan to choose. The patients need to chose a plan based on their own decision making process.

Please be reminded that CMO Medicaid members have the option during their open enrollment period to change their CMO and PCP assignment. Open enrollment is continuous, based on the individual members enrollment date. Members will receive a letter from Georgia Families 30 days prior to their enrollment anniversary date. If the member does not make a choice during the 30-day window they will remain in their CMO.

How Does Medicaid Work

State Medicaid programs are required to adhere to federal guidelines. Costs and coverage may differ between the states.Medicaid programs may pay for the beneficiarys care directly. Some beneficiaries have zero out-of-pocket costs for their medical and dental care.Other Medicaid programs work with private insurers to provide coverage to beneficiaries.

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How To Check Medicaid Status In Georgia

There are three main ways to check if you have active Medicaid in Georgia. You can contact your Eligibility Specialist directly, you can contact the appropriate Georgia Medicaid department or you can check online on the Georgia Gateway Customer Portal. When checking your status by phone, you will need your Medicaid case number.

The Georgia government’s website provides contact information for the Medicaid department. You may also have received your Eligibility Specialist’s direct contact information during your application process. If you do not have it, you can call the DFCS to request it. However, as long as your application has been registered in the system , the most expedient way to check is by going to the Georgia Gateway Portal.

Finally, you may find yourself at a doctor’s office or pharmacy when you need to know your Medicaid status. In this case, the doctor’s office or pharmacy can usually verify whether your Medicaid is active. They will need your full name and your Georgia Medicaid ID number, which is located on your insurance card.

Right From The Start Medicaid

Right from the Start Medicaid pays for medical care required by pregnant women for up to 60 days after they give birth, and for the delivery and medical care required by their children. Services covered include peri-natal case management, postpartum home visits, and substance abuse day treatment for pregnant women. The program uses 200 percent of the federal poverty level as the ceiling for eligibility for pregnant women and infants up to age 1. This makes Georgia’s Medicaid benefits available too many more women that are pregnant and children.

Program Features:

• Owning a car or home does not affect eligibility.
• The Medicaid application form and the application process have been simplified.
• Physician reimbursement for pre-natal care and delivery was increased from $1,000 to $1,205. Physicians are paid an additional $100 if they begin pre-natal care in the first trimester of the mother’s pregnancy.
• Pregnant women may get coverage while waiting for their eligibility to be decided. Some hospitals, health departments and community health centers will issue temporary Medicaid cards to eligible women when they apply.
• Children up to age 19 are eligible .
• The Indigent Health Care Trust Fund pays for outreach staff so that clients can enroll at more convenient and non-traditional locations and times.

Results:

Requirements:

Read Also: What Is The Number To Apply For Medicaid