By skyforbes I swear I haven't regretted anything more than I do now for indulging my curiosity in whether I qualified for Medicaid. It was THREE YEARS ago that I went through part of the process, decided I didn't want to deal with a more restrictive network, and realized I was probably going to make too much to qualify anyway. So I stopped midway through the enrollment process that was attached to the Health Insurance Marketplace process.
Of course, they started sending me form after form after form after form requesting more information in the mail. I ignored it of course, I didn't want Medicaid, I wanted my Marketplace Credit, and to my knowledge I didn't qualify anyway. I received notices about my enrollment being under review constantly and then, perplexingly, notices that I could lose Medicaid coverage which I had assumed I never actually had. Well a couple of months ago I got a letter that a caseworker had reviewed–I assume hastily, due to understaffing–my (incomplete) Medicaid application and somehow decided I qualified and gave me the all clear. Enrolled.
Felt like a bad omen, but I figured they'd realize sooner or later that they screwed up, so I just didn't touch the little Medicaid card they sent. I figured they'd been going back and forth on whether I had Medicaid for literal years, so it would probably be fine.
Wrong. I just got the a text message from The Marketplace today, my tax credit is going away, starting next month. Why? Because I'm double enrolled in Medicaid. Some poor god forsaken soul over there at the Medicaid office, ostensibly went through hell to review and approve my incomplete Medicaid application to make sure I got coverage… and royally screwed me. I guess I screwed myself by trying to ignore this slow motion trainwreck. I don't want to change my dentist and primary care. I don't want to lose access to my prescriptions. I don't even know how Medicaid works! What I do know is that even if I call them and tell them to cancel my Medicaid benefits, the Marketplace apparently won't give me back my credit if ditching Medicaid was voluntary.
I don't know what to do. By my understanding it's fraud to even knowingly use Medicaid if you know you don't qualify, and I don't, because I'm single and make roughly $5000 over the maximum amount! I'm going to try to call the Medicaid office tomorrow. I hope to God it's not too late to fix this mess. I really really hope by pointing out that I shouldn't qualify they'll remove me involuntarily and I won't lose my tax credit. I cannot afford Healthcare without it. I'm freaking the heck out.