Eligibility for Medi-Care/Medi-Cal

June 16, 2007 10:06 PM

How do I go about applying for Medical/Medicare?

Last Monday evening, I woke in the middle of the evening in the middle of a seizure. I went to see a neurologist on Wednesday for tests and medication. The costs are through the roof and I do not have medical insurance. A friend has mentioned Medicare/Medi-Cal as an option. I was led to believe that this was for those over 65. I am a 44YO Male Yoga Teacher in good health.

posted by goalyeehah to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

To be eligible for Medicare, you must either (as you say) be at least 65, or you must be disabled or have kidney failure. So it sounds like Medicare is not going to work for you.

As I don't live in California, I'm not terribly familiar with Medi-Cal, but the official FAQ has some info that looks useful. It's not clear to me whether or not you would be eligible, but you would have nothing to lose by contacting your local county social services office to apply.

You didn't ask about it, but if you have kids you could look into Medicaid. I'm reasonably sure you could only qualify if you have kids, though, unless California's Medicaid laws are more liberal than I would expect them to be.
posted by cerebus19 at 10:21 PM on June 16, 2007

Medicaid = MediCal for California (it's called Medicaid everywhere else in the country).

Yes, your Social Services office is a good place to go, also your local community health center / clinic will often have a benefits analyst. (I'd start there with a general practitioner, if you don't have a diagnosed seizure disorder, lots of things can be mistaken for seizures to the untrained eye.)
posted by gramcracker at 11:13 PM on June 16, 2007

You can get medicaid if you have a disability, this may qualify. There might also be other provisions for this type of thing. Talk to your doctor about it. Another, probably better option in this case, would be to check with your local teaching hospital. They often have something based on your income that will help. The best way to find these programs is to call local ER's, the staff is usually familiar with them.
posted by IronLizard at 11:14 PM on June 16, 2007

Why don't you have insurance? Time to get a job with benefits. Going without insurance in your twenties is foolish. Going without insurance in your forties is insane. As for Medicare, I doubt one seizure would qualify you as disabled, but you can ask. As for Medicaid you generally have to be extremely poor to qualify. Contact the local office and have one of the counselors walk you through the requirements. If you don't qualify they can probably suggest some local treatment options for you. They do this stuff all the time.
posted by caddis at 5:32 AM on June 17, 2007

Medicaid/Medi-Cal will cover you if your income falls below a certain level, you're disabled, you have below a certain dollar amount in assets, and/or some combination of the above. You do not need to have kids, but it 'helps' :)

You're local County Assistance Office can help you fill out the form (*probably* your local equivalent of what's called a Common Application). Also, what everyone else said -- contact your Health&Human Services office, or Social Services. They'll be able to give you a rundown on what the income requirements are, at least. (For the most part, you have to fall below 235% of the Federal Poverty Income limit and have less than $2000 in assets.)

Good luck!
posted by kalimac at 8:05 AM on June 17, 2007

You should also talk to the doctor, hospital and any other providers to see if they offer any free or reduced-fee care and if they have a payment plan.
posted by theora55 at 9:45 AM on June 17, 2007