How Families Apply for MaineCare To apply for MaineCare, individuals can: Walk in to any of the Office for Family Independence (OFI) offices in person and ask for a paper application. Call to request an application at 855-797-4357, Option 8. TTY users can call Maine Relay 711. There is an online chat feature available on the My MaineCare Connection site, which can be found at: https://www1.maine.gov/benefits/account/login.htmlEmails can be sent to . Apply at . There is also an online pre-screening tool at the website above that will allow families to find out what they could potentially be eligible for if they are not ready to complete an application. What Factors Impact Eligibility for Different MaineCare Programs There are a number of different MaineCare programs for which OFI determines eligibility. From a very basic level, the following things are used to determine eligibility (and not necessarily in this order): Family Household Size Income Assets Citizenship Disability MaineCare Member Responsibilities MaineCare members do have a responsibility to report changes within ten days. This includes changes of address, and changes to income, assets, and household composition. Katie Beckett Program When families do not qualify for MaineCare due to being over the income and/or asset limit, and there is a child in the home who is disabled, the Katie Beckett program offers the opportunity for the child to be considered for MaineCare coverage, separate from their household size. This allows the parental income and assets to be excluded so that a child has potential eligibility. After this piece is determined, the child then has to be determined disabled either by the Social Security Administration, or by the Medical Review Team. Both entities use the same standards to determine disability. The teams Department’s review medical documentation from the providers to see if they meet the criteria for disability. If the child meets child’s the standard, an additional assessment is done to see if the child meets an institutional level of need. This assessment is done by a nurse through an outside contracted agency. If a child is determined disabled and meets the nursing home level of care requirement, then a premium is determined based on parental income, and MaineCare is granted. Katie Beckett Premiums
How Families Apply for MaineCare To apply for MaineCare, individuals can: Walk in to any of the Office for Family Independence (OFI) offices in person and ask for a paper application. Call to request an application at 855-797-4357, Option 8. TTY users can call Maine Relay 711. There is an online chat feature available on the My MaineCare Connection site, which can be found at: https://www1.maine.gov/benefits/account/login.htmlEmails can be sent to . Apply at . There is also an online pre-screening tool at the website above that will allow families to find out what they could potentially be eligible for if they are not ready to complete an application. What Factors Impact Eligibility for Different MaineCare Programs There are a number of different MaineCare programs for which OFI determines eligibility. From a very basic level, the following things are used to determine eligibility (and not necessarily in this order): Family Household Size Income Assets Citizenship Disability MaineCare Member Responsibilities MaineCare members do have a responsibility to report changes within ten days. This includes changes of address, and changes to income, assets, and household composition. Katie Beckett Program When families do not qualify for MaineCare due to being over the income and/or asset limit, and there is a child in the home who is disabled, the Katie Beckett program offers the opportunity for the child to be considered for MaineCare coverage, separate from their household size. This allows the parental income and assets to be excluded so that a child has potential eligibility. After this piece is determined, the child then has to be determined disabled either by the Social Security Administration, or by the Department’s Medical Review Team. Both entities use the same standards to determine disability. The teams review medical documentation from the child’s providers to see if they meet the criteria for disability. If the child meets the standard, an additional assessment is done to see if the child meets an institutional level of need. This assessment is done by a nurse through an outside contracted agency. If a child is determined disabled and meets the nursing home level of care requirement, then a premium is determined based on parental income, and MaineCare is granted. Katie Beckett Premiums