u/whateverthewhatev

Hi! I'll need to get on state insurance come September and I'm trying to figure out how to go about it with NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid. Here's the thing: I'm a college student and work part time during school but I pick up tons of extra shifts during breaks. So my monthly income will be fluctuating under and over the $1,836 threshold for Medicaid. So for example:

Sep thru Nov: under (in school, working PT)

Dec and Jan: over (because I'll be picking up as many extra shifts as I can during winter break)

Feb thru April: under (back in school)

May thru Aug: over (summer break)

Sep thru Nov: under (back in school)

... and repeat for the next few years.

My monthly income could be anywhere from $500 to $1,000 over the threshold during breaks, depending on how many shifts I pick up. And then during school my monthly income will be no more than $1,500. So I'm trying to figure out what exactly happens during those months that I go over. Because for the months that I'm under the threshold I have no choice, the state automatically enrolls you in NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid. So it's not like I can just get regular Marketplace insurance and keep that all year round. But then when it comes to the months that I go over the threshold, are they going to kick me off Medicaid and make me enroll in a Marketplace plan just for a month or two before forcing me to go back to Medicaid when I start school again and my income drops? I really don't want to have to deal with switching insurance plans every few months for the next few years until I'm done school. And I don't want to intentionally not work extra hours just so that I can stay under the threshold. And yes I called NJ FamilyCare and spoke to someone but they couldn't/wouldn't give me an answer (or really any guidance at all). I'm hoping that maybe during those months that I go over the threshold they will still keep me on Medicaid since they know the income increase is just temporary, and then maybe just have me pay some money towards my plan rather than it be cost-free for that month. Because otherwise I'm going to have to consistently go back-and-forth between Medicaid and Marketplace and that would just be absolute torture.

Soooooo, if anyone has an experience with a situation like this I would greatly appreciate hearing any input about how it worked for you!! 🙏