Garden State Times

On August 7, 2024, Senator Carmen Amato, Jr., Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, and Assemblyman Gregory Myhre introduced companion legislation, S-3482 and A-4622, aimed at increasing the resource threshold for certain non-Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Medicaid eligibility groups. This initiative was based on a proposal by the Ocean County Office of Senior Services Advisory Council.

The proposed legislation targets applicants over 65 years of age or those who are disabled. This includes individuals eligible for nursing home services, Medicare Shared Savings Programs, the Medically Needy pathway, and home and community-based services.

The bill seeks to align the resource requirements under Medicaid for these populations with those currently applicable to individuals under 65 years of age and without disabilities in the MAGI eligibility group. As per federal law, the MAGI eligibility group does not have a resource test to determine eligibility.

Senator Amato, Assemblyman Rumpf, and Assemblyman Myhre commented: “Seniors and disabled persons should not be required to spend down their limited assets to a few thousand dollars just to qualify for a program that is intended to assist the most vulnerable persons in our society."

They added: “Differing asset limits for Medicaid programs cause confusion and create bureaucratic obstacles preventing people from getting the assistance they need. For example, an individual applying for Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports must have resources of less than $2,000, while an individual applying for a Medicare Savings Program can have resources up to $9,090."

“Our legislation was drafted with the expertise of the Ocean County Office of Senior Services Advisory Council. We are deeply grateful to the Advisory Council for bringing this issue to our attention as part of the County’s ongoing efforts to raise the quality of life for seniors and disabled persons.”

Under this legislation, asset limits (resource standards) for non-MAGI eligibility groups would be set as follows:

- For one-person households: $40,000

- For two-person households: $60,000

- For households of three or more persons: increased by $20,000 for each additional person

For further information or interviews with members of the 9th District Delegation, please contact Jason Smith at [email protected].