Advocate’s Guide to MAGI (Updated Guide for 2018)

Advocate’s Guide to MAGI (Updated Guide for 2018)

Executive Summary

National Health Law Program’s updated Advocate’s Guide to MAGIaddresses changes to MAGI under the Republican tax plan enacted in 2017, as well as recently passed legislation affecting Modified Adjusted Gross Income-based calculations, including:

  • New tax filing threshold now set at $12,000 for individuals, which will lower total household income for many who claim tax dependents;
  • New rules for counting lottery winnings as lump sum income in Medicaid;
  • New income exclusions for payments made under parent-mentor programs and for those participating in clinical trials.

Since it was first published in 2013, the MAGI guide has been a leading resource on Modified Adjusted Gross Income methodologies used to determine financial eligibility for multiple insurance affordability programs, including most Medicaid categories, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Premium Tax Credits and Cost Sharing Reductions for health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces.

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