AHCCCS Freedom to Work Eligibility for Young People

Health Coverage for Workers with Disabilities (HCWD) offers health coverage to people with disabilities who get jobs. If you have a disability, get a job and are making too much money to get NC Medicaid coverage, you might be able to keep your NC Medicaid coverage through HCWD.

To qualify for HCWD, you must:

• Be 16 to 64 years old
• Live in North Carolina
• Be a U.S. citizen or a qualified immigrant
• Be working and paying Social Security and Medicare taxes
• Have a disability that meets Social Security’s medical standards.
  • Note: For HCWD, SSA’s disability rules related to income do not apply.
  • Note: If you aren't sure if your disability qualifies, you can apply and the state will check.
• Have $30,828 or less in resources. Money in an ABLE account, the house you live in, and a car are not counted.
• Have unearned income at or below $1,956 per month for individuals ($2,644 per month for couples).
• There is no limit on earned income! However, you may have to pay some money for coverage depending on your countable income, which includes both your earned and unearned income:
  • If your countable income is more than 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($1,956 per month for individuals or $2,644 per month for couples), you have to pay a $50 annual fee.
  • If your countable income is more than 200% of FPG ($2,608 per month for individuals or $3,525 per month for couples), you also have to pay a monthly premium. The premium amount depends on your income.

To see if you have to pay an annual fee and premium, HCWD counts your money the same way that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does: almost all of your unearned income is counted, but less than half of your earned income is counted. For example, this means that if you live alone and don't have any unearned income, you could make as much as $5,305 per month at work and still not have to pay a premium.

HCWD is a great option if you like your current NC Medicaid coverage and get a job. You don’t have to be afraid you will lose your health coverage!

How to Apply for HCWD

There are different ways to apply for Health Coverage for Workers with Disabilities (HCWD):

• Online using North Carolina ePASS. North Carolina ePASS lets you apply for other programs, like Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) or Work First (WF), at the same time. Note: On the ePASS website, NC Medicaid is called "Medical Assistance."
• In person at your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office. You can also call them to apply over the phone.
• Using a paper application and faxing or mailing it in to your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office.
• Online using HealthCare.gov, an online one-stop shop where you can learn about your public and private coverage options.
  • If HealthCare.gov sees that you are eligible for HCWD, your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office will contact you about enrolling.

If you need help applying for HCWD, talk to a benefits planner or visit or call your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office.

No matter how you apply, it is important to know that if you are not eligible for HCWD, you may be able to get private insurance subsidized by the government. We explain health coverage subsidies later in this article.

For more information, read DB101’s HCWD article.