Alabama Medicaid is a program that was initiated by the state of Alabama and the federal government to provide a range of services to families and individuals with low income. This is achieved by providing these individuals with affordable services and feasible payment plans.

Some of the primary services offered by Alabama Medicaid include:

• Eye care services: the Alabama Medicaid pays for eye glasses and eye exams for adults every two calendar years. This service is available to individuals over the age of 21. As for individuals under the age of 21, the Alabama Medicaid program covers their eye exams and eye glasses payment once every calendar year.
• Dental services: the Alabama Medicaid initiative pays for teeth checkups and teeth cleaning once every 6 months for individuals less than 21 years.
• Family planning: this service is accessible to men of all ages and women of child bearing age. This service includes paying for women 21 years and above to have their tubes tied and for men over 21 to have vasectomies.
• Physician services: with Alabama Medicaid individuals get to enjoy 14 doctor visits per calendar year, with an exception of 16 doctor visit if one is in hospital.
• Hospice services: Alabama Medicaid caters to hospice care for terminally ill individuals and imposes no limit on hospice days provided the services are proved by Medicaid ahead of time.
• Hearing services: Medicaid pays for hearing aids and hearing screening once every calendar year for people under the age of 21.

Other services include:

• Inpatient and outpatient services.
• Home health care services.
• Prescription drugs.
• Mental health services.
• Laboratory and x-ray services.
• Maternity services.

Eligibility Requirements

The basic eligibility requirements for individuals interested in the Alabama Medicaid program include:

• An Alabama resident.
• A US citizen or a legal alien.

Additional requirements include:

• Low income families according to the State's 1996 AFDC plan.
• Children between the ages of 6-19 whose family income is up to 100% of the federal poverty level, in foster care, or custody of Dept. of Youth services.
• Infants whose mothers are Medicaid eligible.
• Special protected groups.

Eligibility determining agencies

Eligibility for the Medicaid in Alabama is determined by four agencies:

• The Alabama Medicaid Agency- this agency certifies the following groups for Medicaid eligibility; the elderly and disabled, legal aliens, breast and cervical cancer programs, pregnant women, as well as children less than 19 years.
• Catholic Social Services- this agency certifies refugees.
• he Social Security Administration (SSA) - certifies aged, disabled, or blind individuals through the SSI program.
• The Alabama Department of Human Resources- certifies foster children and children receiving state or federal adoption assistance./li>

Medicaid Application Instructions

The basic methods one can employ when applying for Alabama Medicaid are online applications, applications done via phone, and personal applications.

Online Application

You can apply for the Alabama Medicaid program online by visiting the following link.

By visiting this link, you will be able to obtain an online application form. This form should be filled out and submitted in order for one to know whether or not they qualify for the Alabama Medicaid program.

Alabama Medicaid also provides individuals with step by step instructions on the application process, view these instructions by clicking here.

Application via Phone

Individuals interested in the Alabama Medicaid program can apply via phone by calling this toll free number, 1-800-362-1504 and asking for the application form, which can either be mailed or emailed to you. By calling the above number, one gets to talk to highly qualified members of staff who can answer any queries you might have regarding the Alabama Medicaid program.

Personal Application

For individuals interested in making personal applications, this link will provide them with maps and driving instructions to some of Medicaid's district offices.

After getting to a Medicaid district office, individuals will receive one on one instructions and guidance on how to apply for the Alabama Medicaid program including finding out whether or not one qualifies for the program.

Payment Options

One of the most popular payment options for the Alabama Medicaid program is co-payments. This entails the recipients paying a small part of the healthcare costs of specific medical services, and Medicaid settling the remaining balance. Services that have the co-payment option include:

• Healthcare centers, Doctor, and rural health clinics visits (co-payment amount of $1 per visit).
• Inpatient and Outpatient health care services (co-payment amount of $50 and $3 respectively per visit).
• Supplies and appliances, prescription drugs, and medical equipment ( co-payment amount of 50 cents to every $3 spent)
• Ambulatory surgical centers (co-payment amount of $3 per visit)

One does not have to pay a co-payment if you are a Medicaid recipient who is pregnant, receiving family planning services, under the age of 18, living in a nursing home, or a Native American Indian (active user letter from Indian Health Services).