Health Insurance & Medical Costs · Surprise rank #23
Go Back to Work, Lose Your SSI Check—and Keep Your Medicaid!
Some people whose SSI cash stops because of earnings can keep Medicaid under Social Security's Section 1619(b) work incentive.
Who
People with disabilities who recently received SSI and lose the cash payment because of work earnings but still need Medicaid to work.
Where: Nationwide; earnings thresholds vary by state
What to do
Start here: Do not assume Medicaid ends when SSI cash stops. Confirm 1619(b) status with Social Security and ask about an individualized threshold if earnings are high.
Eligibility: SSA requires continued disability/blindness, SSI eligibility except for earnings, prior SSI cash eligibility, Medicaid coverage in the prior month, a need for Medicaid in order to work and earnings below the applicable or individualized 1619(b) threshold.
What you get
Medicaid can continue after earnings become too high for SSI cash, if the worker still meets 1619(b) conditions.
Benefit: Continued Medicaid coverage while working even after SSI cash payments stop due to earnings.
Possible value: Potentially very high because it preserves health coverage; there is no fixed cash amount.
Good to know
Important: Each state has an earnings threshold, but Social Security can sometimes calculate an individualized threshold based on disability-related costs and other factors.
Availability: Active
Why people miss it: People often stop working or limit earnings because they assume losing the SSI check automatically ends Medicaid.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026