12-24-2010, 12:44 AM
M A V I C wrote:
- CHIP - We're going to try for this anyway but I don't know if it's going to work. Last time we tried a government program they went off gross income. If one is self employed, they go off of the business's gross income. In my case, that poses a problem because I pay people so their income gets counted against me. That's actually not that big of an issue because the last year has sucked. Until about a month ago. Which brings up issue #2, they only go off of the last 30 days of income. So even if, using theoretical numbers, 11 out of 12 previous months I only made $20k, if in the last month I made $10k that's all they're going to look at, and make the false assumption I make that every month.
I assume you are referring to California's SCHIP program. I don't think that is how they should determine countable income, and there could very well be good arguments to 1) count income for the self employed properly, net of expenses, and 2) pro rate income over a longer period of time, up to a year, if there is a valid basis for doing so. If you are denied, you will have a right to a "fair hearing" and there are several health care advocacy organizations in CA that should be able to give you legal advice about your specific situation. Good luck sorting this out.
edit: you are in WA, which I would take to refer to Washington, which then the SCHIP program is called Apple Health for Kids?
http://hrsa.dshs.wa.gov/applehealth/am_i_eligible.shtml
But the same basic rules will apply to any SCHIP program in any state (with significant variation on the income levels that apply). Plus, a state cannot have changed eligibility or made it more restrictive since July 2008 under the what are called the maintenance of effort requirements of the stimulus bill.