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Louisiana Medicaid Eligibility Manual Eligibility Factors

Issued January 7, 2026 Page 3 of I-1550 Replacing November 13, 2025

Revised/added text indicated by underscore Deleted text indicated by “**”  Amy’s MAGI household is composed of Amy, Arnold, and Sally.  Arnold’s MAGI household is composed of Arnold, Amy, and Sally. Note: When determining Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women under age 19, all income is disregarded.

MAGI HOUSEHOLD FOR TAX DEPENDENTS For the tax dependent, who does not meet a tax dependent exception, the MAGI household is the same as the household of the tax filer claiming the individual, including:  The tax dependent;  The tax dependent’s legal spouse, if living together, whether claimed by the tax filer or not;  The tax filer;  The spouse of the tax filer; and  All other tax dependents claimed by the tax filer.

If an adult is a tax dependent, include the individual in the MAGI household regardless of whether they reside in household. A child who expects to file taxes but is claimed as a tax dependent by a parent is considered a tax dependent when constructing the child’s MAGI household.

MAGI HOUSEHOLD FOR JOINT CUSTODY Using information available on the application, it is reasonable to treat the parent applying for health coverage for the child as the custodial parent, when there is no other information to indicate that the parent is non-custodial.

In cases where there is a discrepancy (both parents are applying separately for health coverage for the same child in the same year), the custodial parent is the parent with whom the child spends most nights.