Medi-Cal and Firearms Purchase

[ACfixer]

If your income is under a threshold ($24k or something), you can't get "ObamaCare" because Medi-cal is already available to you.

I just plugged $18K into the Covered CA website with frequent doc visits and ongoing meds... Plans from $9 to $120 a month. I don't know what the threshold is, but $18K a year isn't much.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

Yes there are questions about gun ownership on some questionaires but remember we are talking the state of CA and it's computer system.

https://californiahealthline.org/new...-from-scratch/

So, the Medi-Cal system is actually an hodge podge and, almost, nonexistent or, at least, 'antiquated' in terms of computers. That I'd believe.

Like I said, your note that the system isn't set up in the manner that concerns him was helpful.

Thanks.

[tonyxcom]

I just plugged $18K into the Covered CA website with frequent doc visits and ongoing meds... Plans from $9 to $120 a month. I don't know what the threshold is, but $18K a year isn't much.

Covered California also includes Medi-Cal or whatever its called. My number may be off based on a single adult, but there is threshold before you get kicked out of Obamacare and put on Medi-cal.

This article alludes to that nuance.

http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/medi-cal-and-obamacare-more-confusing-twists

[NytWolf]

Firearms are on the exempted list of personal property.

Page 2, under Personal Property -> Recreation items.

Never mind the PDF title. The point is, firearms are exempted from eligibility determination.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

I just plugged $18K into the Covered CA website with frequent doc visits and ongoing meds... Plans from $9 to $120 a month. I don't know what the threshold is, but $18K a year isn't much.

I'm not going to get into how much he does make. Partly because, I don't know other than very generally. He said that he tried the Covered California website and, as indicated by tonyxcom, the system kicked back that he might be eligible for Medi-Cal and wouldn't let him proceed.

Insofar as...

Type 2 diabetics commonly take insulin along with other oral drugs. I have no idea how much his disease has progressed but most type 2 eventually end up taking insulin. I was using the term "insulin" as a catch all for "medication" but I think you knew that.

No. I made the assumption that you meant what you said, not what you might mean. Not "all" Type 2 Diabetics end up on insulin and most start much lower on the medication scale.

When it comes to... they aren't going to deny him life saving medication because he has a $100 used shotgun. It's just not going to happen. It's nice to be so sure. As I said in the OP, the conclusion/answer I came to is something I'm 'comfortable' with; but, not 100% confident in. (Though creampuff's post has helped with that confidence level.) However, you might be surprised/shocked to hear some of the stories I have about what could 'mess with' your eligibility or access to a doctor when on Medi-Cal.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

Firearms are on the exempted list of personal property.

Page 2, under Personal Property -> Recreation items.

Never mind the PDF title. The point is, firearms are exempted from eligibility determination.

I think the line, right at the top of the first page, is telling...

Medi-Cal disregards property for individuals whose eligibility is determined utilizing your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).

As I said in the OP: "So far as I can determine, his eligibility is income-based..." Assuming that is correct (I'm pretty sure it is), then there should be no limitation on his assets. (He doesn't have much in the way of 'non-essentials' anyway.) Which is a big part of why I was 'comfortable' with my conclusion; just not 100% confident in it.

Thanks. I'll pass that tidbit along as well.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

i've been in NV for 3 years now - before then i lived in CA for over 50 years

my buddy is still in CA, although i've been trying to get him to relocate - based on his situation it's not that easy

he has been on Medi-Cal for as long as i've known him, he is a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair

As my username infers, I'm well aware of 'situations' and not being able to move out of California - at least at the moment. (Retirement isn't 'too far' away; but, farther than I'd like it to be at times.)

As I said, my only concern would be any, potential differences in eligibility requirements between 'disabled' and 'income-based.'

[ACfixer]

Okay OP, well it looks like the question has been answered... firearms are exempt from assets. I wish your relative the best in dealing with his disease.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

The ATF is doing stings on people who receive state benefits and buy firearms? Oh yeah, the ATF has nothing better to do than catch diabetic medi cal recipients buying guns. So they can charge them with what exactly?

In CA these days I guess I'm not surprised that someone would be worried about almost anything concerning guns. I think the assumption here is that the state and/or feds are watching absolutely everything we do. They're not. They can't even keep track of hardened criminals. Prohibiting factors are felonies, domestic violence misdemeanors, mental incompetency and the use of illegal drugs (federal law). Diabetes, welfare, parking tickets and purchases of certain goods are not.

So it's reasonable to assume that someone buying something (anything) reasonable won't get in trouble with their benefits. If your relative starts buying entire gun collections or luxury cars with cash, there may be a problem. Though I imagine the gov would have a hard time tracking even those types of purchases.

So it's reasonable to assume that someone buying something (anything) reasonable won't get in trouble with their benefits.

Therein lay the issue.

Associating 'reasonable' with the mindset of State legislators and bureaucrats when it comes to firearms is not necessarily a 'safe' assumption.

[RobG]

I pick up people all the time that have Medi-cal. They have nice cars, big screen tv's, IPhone X's, expensive clothes, expensive jewelry, smoke weed, drink, smoke cigs, etc, etc. The MC system is a joke. Tell him to buy with reckless abandon, nothing will happen.

[mag88]

I've worked as an eligibility worker for Medi-Cal before. They don't care if he buys a gun, nor do they have a way of knowing he buys the gun. And there is no where that he needs to even disclose it to them. All Medi-Cal cares about is what he is making to determine eligibility.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

I pick up people all the time that have Medi-cal. They have nice cars, big screen tv's, IPhone X's, expensive clothes, expensive jewelry, smoke weed, drink, smoke cigs, etc, etc. The MC system is a joke. Tell him to buy with reckless abandon, nothing will happen.

The reality is that I can't disagree with such an observation. Unfortunately, what people get away with and what is "According to Hoyle" are, often, two different things.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

I've worked as an eligibility worker for Medi-Cal before. They don't care if he buys a gun, nor do they have a way of knowing he buys the gun. And there is no where that he needs to even disclose it to them. All Medi-Cal cares about is what he is making to determine eligibility.

That's the kind of feedback I was ultimately hoping for; i.e., someone who'd actually been there, done that.

Thanks.