Common Pitfalls

In the past, some people found it impossible to find health coverage that was affordable and met their needs. Now, there should be an option for almost everybody, whether or not you have a disability. The exact health coverage that will be right for you will depend on things like your family’s income, whether you have access to employer-sponsored coverage, your age, where you live, and whether you have a disability.

If you do not have the option of employer-sponsored coverage, you may be able to get government help to pay for an individual plan on HealthCare.gov. If you cannot afford private individual coverage, your best options will be public programs, like NC Medicaid or Medicare, if you qualify.

Note: It is very important to have health coverage, but starting in 2019 there is no tax penalty if you don't have coverage.

In the past, people feared that if they got a job while they were on NC Medicaid, they’d lose their NC Medicaid, because they would no longer have low enough income to qualify.

Now, if you lose one health coverage option, there will be another one you can get. If you have a disability and start working, you may qualify for Health Coverage for Workers with Disabilities (HCWD), an NC Medicaid program that has no limit on earned income.

If you lose your NC Medicaid coverage, you will either become eligible for employer-sponsored coverage or private individual coverage. And, if you can’t afford the individual coverage, the government may help you pay for it.

The bottom line: There is a coverage option for everybody. Do not worry that getting a job will leave you without health coverage.

If you are eligible for both NC Medicaid and Medicare, you should enroll in both. If you have both, you’ll have better health coverage, because NC Medicaid covers many services that Medicare does not cover. NC Medicaid may even pay your Medicare Parts A, B, and D premiums, deductibles, and copayments for you.