ABOUT POSITIVELY COVERED
A project of The National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition and The AIDS Institute, built to help both HIV and Housing community-based organizations keep their clients covered through a period of major change in Medicaid policy.
OUR STORY
The National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition (NHAHC) works at the intersection of housing and HIV care, where stability in one is often the key to stability in the other. NHAHC advocates for housing, policies, and resources to advance the health of people living with HIV.
The AIDS Institute works to end the HIV epidemic by increasing access to health care, housing, and related services for people living with and vulnerable to HIV.
As federal Medicaid policy shifts — new work reporting requirements, more frequent recertification, stricter address verification — the organizations already embedded in this community are uniquely positioned to keep people covered. Positively Covered was created to give those organizations a shared set of tools: training, materials, a regional captain structure, and a growing library of resources — so no CBO has to build this knowledge alone.
OUR MISSION
Equipping HIV community-based organizations with the tools necessary for ensuring clients remain on Medicaid.
WHO THESE CHANGES AFFECT
H.R. 1 does not change Medicaid the same way for everyone. What matters most is how a person qualifies for Medicaid. There are two main ways:
1. ADULTS IN STATES THAT EXPANDED MEDICAID
Adults ages 19–64 who qualified based on income alone (up to 138% of poverty). Often called the "expansion group." About 20 million people.
Face ALL of the new rules, including work requirements and renewals every 6 months.
2. EVERYONE ELSE ON MEDICAID
People who qualify because of a disability or SSI, pregnancy, being a parent or caretaker, or being an older adult, plus people with both Medicare and Medicaid. Sometimes called "traditional Medicaid."
Face only SOME of the new rules. No work requirements. Still renew once a year.
WHERE DISABILITY FITS IN
If a client gets Medicaid because of a disability or SSI, they are in group 2. Work requirements and 6-month renewals do not apply to them.
If a client has a disability but qualified on income (common for people living with HIV who were never formally found disabled, or are waiting on an SSI/SSDI decision), they are in group 1. They must claim an exemption, usually "medical frailty," to avoid the work requirement.
Not sure? A client's Medicaid approval or renewal letter usually names their eligibility category. Your state Medicaid agency or managed care plan can also confirm it.
See the full side-by-side comparison, exemptions, and dates on What’s Changing.
PARTNERS IN THE EFFORT
POSITIVELY COVERED
Stay Enrolled, Stay Healthy.
A PROJECT OF
Site and Project Run by the National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition, in Partnership with The AIDS Institute