Medicaid and Married in Nevada

Sharon from West Virginia:

If a person only gets a small amount of medicaid can they go to Nevada and get married, they are unhealthy and need to keep their medicaid card? Ty

ANSWER: I hope your health improves Sharon, and your husband-to-be, too. Your question is not really about social security, but Medicaid, which is a federal/state health benefit program for the poor administered and partially funded by the several states, and partially funded by the federal government. Medicaid is not Medicare, which is federal health insurance for social security beneficiaries.  If you are getting Medicaid because you receive SSI payments, a cash program for the poor who are disabled (and aged and blind), then your new husband's income and assets will be considered and those payments could be reduced or stopped, and in many states Medicaid then stops too.  SSI is a federal welfare program, and is administered by the Social Security Administration, so you should go to the Social Security office. Make sure you have your figures with you, namely the amount of your beau's income and assets as well as yours. Because the Medicaid program is administered and partially paid for by the states, the rules can vary from state to state for that program.  You will have to check with the Social Services departments of both states.