By skyforbes I'm over the limit for MAGI ($2178/month pre-tax, if I'm correct the limit for one person is $2000 for non-disabled MAGI) and don't qualify for Medicaid. I've been on it in the past. If I reduced my hours to 22.5/week, I'd qualify for Medicaid, especially since PA is a Medicaid expansion state.
The nuance to this situation is this: I was denied Medical Assistance For Workers With Disabilities (MAWD). I'm within the eligibility limits for that program but since I'm not temporarily 12 months or more, temporarily 12 months or less or permanently disabled, they're denying me. They denied me bc I'm employable which makes no damn sense.
I had a conversation with the CAO when she called me the other day to tell me my original appeal was denied for the above reason and asked if I wanted to still proceed with taking the appeal for MAWD further. I said yes. So she's got an application from me with the "are you disabled" checked as "yes" and my disabilities listed. My disabilities are recognized by the SSA but I don't get SSI/D because I can work provided I stay in treatment. But they're denying me.
If I voluntarily reduce my hours at work to 22.5 which is still above the now 80 hrs/month requirement, I will qualify for MAGI Medicaid and will close the appeal for MAWD. I have expensive medical bills that are costing me upwards of $500/month. The extra day of work per week isn't even worth it when I'm paying what I'm paying out of pocket or even for a halfway decent plan on the Pennie Marketplace.
Can I do this? Will they automatically reject my case because I'm (obviously to them) voluntarily reducing my hours at work even though I'm still over the 20 hr/week requirement? I don't want to commit any kind of fraud. I don't think I'm going to win this MAWD appeal because apparently you can't be employed. Apparently you have to be permanently disabled, temporarily disabled (12 months and more or 12 months and less).
Edit to add: if I'm reading things correctly, for PA MAGI 401K contributions don't count as income as they're pre-tax. I put $ away from every check in my employer sponsored 401K and my checks after those deductions place me within the MAGI limits and I would not have to reduce my work hours. Am I understanding this correctly?