Continued Medicaid Eligibility While Working: Section 1619(b)

If you could keep your Medicaid coverage AND earn enough money to get off SSI, would you?

Many people would, but don’t know it’s a possibility. Continued Medicaid Eligibility, or Section 1619(b), is a work incentive that allows people to keep their Medicaid when their earnings are so high that they don’t get an Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment. Keep in mind, Section 1619(b) applies only to people who have SSI.

Key information about Section 1619(b):

SSI recipients get to keep Medicaid when they have higher earnings.

It’s automatic and requires no applications or requests.

SSI payments can restart without a new application when someone stops working.

To qualify for Section 1619(b), an individual must:

Have been eligible for SSI for at least one month.

Have assets below $2,000 (for an individual).

Be eligible for SSI in all non-financial ways – have a disability, citizenship, etc.

Be otherwise eligible for SSI if it weren’t for their earned income.

Have gross annual earnings below the threshold for the year – in 2024 this amount is $46,545 for most people in Wisconsin (some individuals can have higher annual thresholds).

Learn More

Not all of the details about working with Medicaid are included in this article. There are specific rules for people who are married, individualized annual thresholds, and more.

We encourage you to work with a benefits specialist to get information specific to your situation. To learn more:

Contact ERI to find a benefits specialist.

Call ERI at 608-246-3444.

Visit the Social Security website.

Call your local Social Security office.