Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Pennsylvania program

Medicaid for yourself, the parent or caregiver (Medical Assistance)

Medical Assistance for your own health care when your income falls. A parent can be included on the child's COMPASS application.

What it is

Medical Assistance for your own health care when your income falls. A parent can be included on the child's COMPASS application.

Pennsylvania's expanded MA covers adults with limited income, including parents. A reduced paycheck can change your eligibility even when your child already has coverage. The county checks your household and income separately from your child's route.

Eligibility rules
  • This expansion route is for Pennsylvania adults ages 19–64 at up to 138% of poverty, including the five-point allowance.
  • The line is about $2,489 a month for two people, $3,142 for three and $3,795 for four.
  • The county judges this month's income, so a recent pay cut counts straight away.
  • From January 1, 2027, expansion work rules include reported exemptions for caregivers of a child under 14 or a person with disabilities.
What you get
  • Full Medical Assistance for your own health care.
  • No premium for qualifying adult coverage.
  • One COMPASS application can include both parent and child.
What the help includes
  • Adult MA covers the parent's care. It is separate from the child's PH95 disability category.
  • Earlier eligible bills can fall within the retroactive period, which changes for expansion adults in 2027.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the financial counselor to include you as an applicant on COMPASS if you want adult coverage reviewed.
  2. Have your ID, Social Security number and current pay stubs or notice that pay stopped ready.
  3. Check which MA plan includes your own doctors before choosing it.

1-866-550-4355 · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The county sends a written decision with your coverage dates and MA plan choices. Your financial counselor can confirm the processing deadline for your application.
  • Retroactive coverage reaches back up to three months through 2026, then one month for expansion adults from January 1, 2027.
Good to know

Your child's approval does not automatically cover you. The adult income limit and coverage rules are separate.

Other details
  • Pennie can be another option after a loss of coverage when adult MA income rules do not fit.
  • A caregiver exemption from the 2027 work rules still needs to be reported. The county can explain which records support it.
  • Expansion MA is not limited to parents. A relative caregiver’s own age, coverage, income and MA household need their own review. Caring for the child does not by itself establish legal parenthood or an adult coverage decision.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could I qualify for my own MA coverage if our pay has changed? Could you compare it with my other coverage options and help include me on the application if it fits?”

Why I’m asking: I need to keep my own health care covered while caring for my child.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Add yourself to the COMPASS application and report this month's income.

Your social worker

The social worker checks the parent's box on the same application.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The County Assistance Office (the county benefits office)
Ask your social worker
“Can we add me as an applicant on the COMPASS application, since my income this month is under the adult limit?”

How to apply

First step: Add the parent to the COMPASS application (compass.dhs.pa.gov or 1-866-550-4355).

  1. Add the parent to the COMPASS application.
  2. Report the month income drops.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Same COMPASS application as the child, or 1-866-550-4355.

What to gather

  • This month's pay stubs or the notice that pay stopped
  • ID and Social Security number

How long: The 30-day COMPASS standard.

What a yes looks like

A notice with the parent's coverage dates and a HealthChoices plan choice.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Income over the limit: Pennie (the state Marketplace) with a 60-day sign-up after losing coverage.

Watch out

  • MA uses this month's income, not last year's.
  • From January 1, 2027 adults on expansion MA have work rules. Caring for a person with a disability is a listed exemption, but you must report it.

Dates that change this

2026-01-13: The 138% limit is the state's 2026 table (January 13, 2026 basis).

2027-01-01: Work rules for adults on expansion MA from January 1, 2027; the state lists caregivers of a child under 14 or of a person with a disability as exemptions to report.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 9, 2026.

What it is worth

Full Medical Assistance for a parent at or under 138% of the poverty line: about $3,142 a month for three and $3,795 for four (yearly figures $37,702 and $45,540 divided by 12).

  • $37,702/year — Adult line, household of 3 (138% FPIG, annual, 2026)
  • $45,540/year — Adult line, household of 4 (138% FPIG, annual, 2026)
  • $29,864/year — Adult line, household of 2 (138% FPIG, annual, 2026)

Covers: Full Medical Assistance for the parent

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
19-64
Income
138% FPIG including the 5% disregard
Residency
Pennsylvania
Work rules
from 2027-01-01, with reported exemptions for caregivers of a child under 14 or an individual with disabilities

The trap: Answering with last year's income. MA uses this month. Report the month a paycheck stops.

Where I read this

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