QUESTION
Can we claim our adult daughter as a dependent and still be eligible for Medi-Cal?
Asked on Mar 12th, 2014 on Taxation - Ohio
More details to this question:
We have a 30 year old adult daughter who, due to health problems is unable to work, but yet denied with Supplemental Security Income. If we do not claim her as a dependent on our income taxes, we should be able to get Medi-Cal for her health coverage, right? That way her "household income" will not be ours, since she would be considered her own household even though she's living with us and is a dependent, right? Or, can we still claim her as a dependent and her still be eligible to get Medi-Cal? (My husband I believe makes too much for their eligibility guidelines.) Also, if she has no medical insurance and she does have medical needs that we have to go to the doctor or hospital for, is it best that we do not have her listed as a dependent on our taxes, or will it not matter? In other words would we not be financially responsible either way for our adult daughter's medical bills whether she is a "dependent" on our taxes or not?
1 ANSWER
Commercial & Bankruptcy Law Attorney serving Powell, OH
at
Ronald K. Nims
Update Your Profile
Reading your questions, it appears that you're asking whether claiming your unemployed adult daughter as a dependent on your income tax return will affect her eligibility for Medi-Cal. The answer to this is no. Your daughter is eligible for Medi-Cal as a California citizen with income less than 138% of the poverty level. Whether or not you claim her as a dependent doesn't affect her eligibility for Medi-Cal at all. It doesn't matter that you are supporting her by letting her live with you, as an adult she is a separate household for Medi-Cal purposes. Listing her as a dependent on your taxes does not make you financially responsible for her medical expenses. The only way you'll be financially responsible for an adult child's medical expenses if you sign a form agreeing to be liable.
Answered on Mar 14th, 2014 at 8:22 PM