Robert struggles to support himself and his two teenage daughters by working several part time jobs. He washes dishes at a local restaurant at night, is a convenience store cashier by day, and parks cars for a valet service on the weekends. With these three minimum wage jobs, he will earn close to $15,000 this year. Robert has multiple serious medical conditions including asthma, high blood pressure, and a history of seizures—and he doesn’t have health insurance.
Robert is in the Medicaid gap. He makes too much money to be covered by Medicaid but not enough to qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) that would make it possible for him to buy his own insurance. Unlike 32 other states, Virginia did not expand its Medicaid coverage to include individuals like Robert who are in low-wage jobs that do not offer benefits.*
Arlington Free Clinic provides care to uninsured Arlington adults, many of whom are in this Medicaid gap. When one of our patients does qualify for ACA insurance, we work with her new provider to ensure a warm handoff and quickly fill her space with one of the many individuals waiting to become an AFC patient. However, even with the ACA, the need for our services has continued to exceed our capacity—so there are always people waiting.
There is no crystal ball to predict what health care reform will look like in the coming years. If the ACA is repealed or current marketplace subsidies are discontinued, there will be many more low income Arlingtonians without health insurance. While we hope that will not be the case, we will continue to do our best to care for as many people as possible.
Regardless of what happens with healthcare reform, there are still thousands of Arlington adults just like Robert. They are waiters, dish washers, home health aides, nannies, office cleaners, cab drivers, and sales clerks. For the past 22 years, these valuable members of our community have been able to get the care they need at Arlington Free Clinic through the generosity of volunteers and donors like you. With your help, we will continue our work— until everyone has healthcare.
*In order to qualify for Medicaid in Virginia, Robert would have to make less than $10,000 per year. To qualify for subsidies through the ACA, he would need an annual income of more than $20,000.
Who’s Eligible for Medicaid in Virginia?
- Pregnant women and children under 18 who have incomes up to $38,180* (covered via Medicaid, FAMIS, and CHIP)
- Elderly and disabled individuals who have incomes up to $15,272**
- Parents with dependent children who have incomes up to $9,700**
- Childless adults are not eligible for Medicaid in Virginia
**Income eligibility based on a household size of three