Obama Care and MediCal in Calif

[JohnL 4]

Last Dec, I signed up the mother in law thru Covered Calif. and I also claimed her on my 2013 tax returns. My wife and 2 daughters are covered thru insurance at my job. For 6 months, we have $228 to Kaiser and there has been a approx $530 tax credit that has been going to Kaiser to pay for the total premium. Just received a package from the state that my mother in law is being transitioned to Medi Cal and that she qualifies for no premium payment. I spent 2 hours on the phone with Covered Calif and Medi Cal. They say, because of my income and amount of dependents, it is mandatory she go to MediCal, even though she has only been in the US for only 1 year. They called it MAGI MediCal and said there was no way around it, even though we were comfortable paying the $228 a month. I told them about no benefits for the first 5 years and the possibility of the USCIS declaring her a public charge at a point of entry and they said that there was no way that she could not collect MediCal unless I went out and made more money, or the wife went to work..... Am I the only one that is experiencing this?

[JohnR! 5,495]

These are managed by different entities. Medi-Cal is managed by the state of California and doesn't count as a means tested benefit for the purpose of your Affidavit of Support for your MIL.