Medicaid/Medical Assistance Plan Links, By State

Below, you can find a set of links that will take you to information about medical assistance programs for each state (Medicaid, S-CHIP, or other programs).

Most states, unfortunately, do not offer traditional Medicaid coverage for able-bodied, working-aged adults without children. However, several states do offer other types of medical assistance for working-aged adults, so you should be careful to explore all programs in your state before concluding that you can't qualify for anything.

If you are pregnant or have children, it is far more likely that you will be able to find state coverage. Medicaid eligibility is far less stringent for pregnant women or children under 18, so even if you or a partner don't qualify for benefits on your own, your children (born or unborn) will very likely qualify for coverage if you don't make much money. In fact, graduate student couples in many states have been able to cover their children on state Medicaid programs, because their family income (via graduate stipends) is so low.

So if you're leaving academia with kids and don't have a new job lined up, you should definitely explore whether your kids (at least) may qualify for state coverage.

For each state, I tried to pull a link that provides a gateway to all of the Medicaid eligibility information (and applications) for each state. However, each state offers multiple assistance programs and has complex eligibility requirements for each, so be sure to spend some time looking around your specific site – there may be more information/programs out there than are covered on the linked pages.

Alabama: http://www.medicaid.alabama.gov/CONTENT/3.0_Apply/3.2_Qualifying_for_Medicaid.aspx
Alaska: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dpa/Pages/medicaid/default.aspx
Arizona: http://www.azahcccs.gov/applicants/default.aspx
Arkansas: https://www.medicaid.state.ar.us/InternetSolution/consumer/who.aspx
California: http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/ApplyforMedi-Cal.aspx
Colorado: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/HCPF/HCPF/1251573247952
Connecticut: http://www.ct.gov/dss/cwp/view.asp?a=2353&q=305218
Delaware: https://assist.dhss.delaware.gov/
District of Columbia: http://dhcf.dc.gov/services
Florida: http://goo.gl/e7VKX
Georgia: http://dch.georgia.gov/medicaid
Hawaii: http://www.med-quest.us/eligibility/EligPrograms.html
Idaho: http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Default.aspx?TabId=123
Illinois: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30359
Indiana: http://member.indianamedicaid.com/
Iowa: http://www.ime.state.ia.us/Members/index.html
Kansas: http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/healthwave/default.htm
Kentucky: http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/eligibility.htm
Louisiana: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/subhome/1/n/331
Maine: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/member/index.shtml
Maryland: http://mmcp.dhmh.maryland.gov/SitePages/About%20Our%20Programs.aspx
Massachusetts: http://www.massresources.org/masshealth.html
Michigan: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2943_4860---,00.html
Minnesota: http://goo.gl/mw8MV
Mississippi: http://www.medicaid.ms.gov/Eligibility.aspx
Missouri: http://dss.mo.gov/pr_health.htm
Montana: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/programsservices/medicaid.shtml
Nebraska: https://dhhs-access-neb-menu.ne.gov/start/?tl=en
Nevada: https://dhcfp.nv.gov/index.htm
New Hampshire: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/medicaid/index.htm
New Jersey: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/clients/medicaid/
New Mexico: http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/mad/CMedAssisPrograms.html
New York: http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/index.htm
North Carolina: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/medicaid/
North Dakota: http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv/index.html
Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/consumer.stm
Oklahoma: http://www.okhca.org/individuals.aspx?id=52&menu=40&parts=11601_7453
Oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/Pages/app_benefits/main.aspx
Pennsylvania: https://www.humanservices.state.pa.us/compass.web/CMHOM.aspx
Rhode Island: http://www.dhs.ri.gov/DefaultPermissions/HealthCare/tabid/945/Default.aspx
South Carolina: https://www.scdhhs.gov/how-to-apply
South Dakota: http://dss.sd.gov/medicaleligibility/
Tennessee: http://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members.shtml
Texas: http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/medicaid/med_info.html
Utah: http://health.utah.gov/umb/
Vermont: http://www.greenmountaincare.org/vermont-health-insurance-plans/medicaid
Virginia: http://www.dmas.virginia.gov/
Washington: http://hrsa.dshs.wa.gov/client.htm
West Virginia: http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/bms/Pages/EligibleForMedicaid.aspx
Wisconsin: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid/
Wyoming: http://www.health.wyo.gov/healthcarefin/medicaideligibility/index.html

Pre-Existing Condition Health Care Plans, By State

As described in the original post about health insurance on this site, people who have preexisting conditions that make it impossible for them to qualify for regular health insurance now have access to health insurance through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Unfortunately, you have to be uninsured for six months before you are able to enroll in one of these policies. However ... if you have no other options for coverage, this is certainly better than nothing. The benefits on these policies are fairly decent and are managed by reputable insurance companies, and the premiums are fairly cheap as compared to what you would find on the regular insurance market with a preexisting condition.

See below for state-by-state links to the websites where you can read about the plans, find answers to your questions, and apply for coverage. You must apply to the one in the state where you currently reside.

(Please note: some of the links are the same between states because some states elect to provide their citizens coverage through a preexisting plan managed by the federal government. Other states manage their own plans.)

Alabama: http://www.pciplan.com/
Alaska: http://www.achia.com/ACHIA-FED/
Arizona: http://www.pciplan.com/
Arkansas: http://www.takecarearkansas.org/
California: http://www.pcip.ca.gov/Home/default.aspx
Colorado: https://www.gettinguscovered.org/
Connecticut: http://www.ct.gov/dss/cwp/view.asp?Q=463668&A=2345
Delaware: http://www.pciplan.com/
District of Columbia: http://www.pciplan.com/
Florida: http://www.pciplan.com/
Georgia: http://www.pciplan.com/
Hawaii: http://www.pciplan.com/
Idaho: http://www.pciplan.com/
Illinois: http://insurance.illinois.gov/IPXP/
Indiana: http://www.pciplan.com/
Iowa: http://hipiowafed.com/index.htm
Kansas: http://www.khiastatepool.com/KHIA-FED/
Kentucky: http://www.pciplan.com/
Louisiana: http://www.pciplan.com/
Maine: http://www.dirigohealth.maine.gov/Pages/pre_exist.html
Maryland: http://getmdhealthcare.com/
Massachusetts: http://www.pciplan.com/
Michigan: http://www.hipmichigan.com/
Minnesota: http://www.pciplan.com/
Mississippi: http://www.pciplan.com/
Missouri: http://www.mhip.org/federal_eligibility.html
Montana: http://www.mthealth.org/
Nebraska: http://www.pciplan.com/
Nevada: http://www.pciplan.com/
New Hampshire: http://www.nhhp.org/nhhp-fed/
New Jersey: http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/njprotect/index.htm
New Mexico: http://www.nmmip.org/hrp1/
New York: http://www.ghi.com/nybridgeplan/index.html
North Carolina: http://www.inclusivehealth.org/fed_eligible_reg.htm
North Dakota: http://www.pciplan.com/
Ohio: https://www.ohiohighriskpool.com/
Oklahoma: http://www.bcbsok.com/ohrp/temp_pool.html
Oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/OPHP/OMIP/pages/fmip.aspx
Pennsylvania: http://www.pafaircare.com/
Rhode Island: https://www.bcbsri.com/shop-for-plan/programs-and-services/individuals-families/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan-rhode
South Carolina: http://www.pciplan.com/
South Dakota: http://fedhighriskpool.sd.gov/
Tennessee: http://www.pciplan.com/
Texas: http://www.pciplan.com/
Utah: http://selecthealth.org/plans/government/fedhip/Pages/home.aspx
Vermont: http://www.pciplan.com/
Virginia: http://www.pciplan.com/
Washington: https://www.wship.org/PCIP-WA/
West Virginia: http://www.pciplan.com/
Wisconsin: http://www.hirsp.org/plans/federal-plans.shtml
Wyoming: http://www.pciplan.com/

If You Are In Crisis: Hotlines and Other Emergency Help for the Distressed Post-Ac

If you are feeling suicidal or are in a serious, can't-take-it-anymore crisis, there are people out who can help. Please don't hesitate to call one of these numbers or to reach out for help. Grad school and academia can be sites of tremendous stress and anxiety and isolation, and you are not the first person to reach a crisis point. You are not alone, and there is help out there for you.

HORIZON via Compfight

The Kristin Brooks Hope Center has a dedicated crisis line solely for grad students anywhere to use: 1-800-GRAD-HLP (472-3457)

From their site:

Recent studies have shown that the pressures of academic performance, finances, advisor relationships and other factors create intense anxiety for many graduate students, bringing some to a dangerous point of crisis.

That's why we've come up with the National Graduate Student Crisis Line -- a toll-free, 24-hour hotline staffed by highly trained phone counselors who understand the unique issues faced by grad students like you.

Please don't hesitate to call. These people understand what you're going through, and they are here to help.

If you are thinking about harming yourself, please call the National Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-8255.

For more general suicide prevention and crisis hotlines, check out this site. They list national hotlines as well as links to organizations and crisis lines for every state in the U.S. As that site states: crisis counselors are waiting for your call. They are there to help. Don't hesitate.

If you feel like you are not in immediate crisis but still need help, please contact a mental health professional in your geographic area. Listings for licensed therapists and counselors and other mental health professionals can be found in your local phone book and the internet, as well as through many insurance company websites. If you are still employed or enrolled at an institution, find out if they have a faculty/staff counselor or student counseling service that can help you for low or no cost. This is how a lot of us get help when we're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Community health services are also a great place to look, as well as women's resource centers.

Many therapists will schedule quick appointments for people in crisis, and many charge on a sliding scale. Don't be afraid to make some calls. They are there to help.

And don't be embarrassed to seek help. I've done it, as have many people I know both inside and outside of academia. (Me, too! And me, too! Chime in the co-editors of this site.) Going to a therapist doesn't make you crazy or broken. It just means that you need an impartial person to give you some perspective on what you're going through.

Grad school and academia can wreak havoc on your mental health ... we all know it. Grad students joke about popping antidepressants and about how they're too anxious and overworked to sleep. I'm willing to bet that every single person reading this post right now can think of at least one time when they had some type of emotional breakdown over their academic work - a crying jag, a panic attack, a screaming fit, or maybe just a few days where you could not motivate yourself to go to campus (or even get out of bed). It's not just you who feels this way. A 2009 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) summarized some major findings about the mental health of graduate students, and the findings were not good:

At the University of California at Berkeley, 67 percent of graduate students said they had felt hopeless at least once in the last year; 54 percent had felt so depressed they had a hard time functioning, and nearly 10 percent said they had considered suicide, a 2004 survey found. By comparison, an estimated 9.5 percent of American adults suffer from depressive disorders in a given year.

You are not alone, and there is no shame in asking for help. Please, if you are in crisis, make a call.

And please: don't end your life over academia. The world is better off with you in it. The transition out of academia is tough and the chasm can feel deep, but we truly believe you can lead a happy life outside the ivory tower. Get help through the roughest patches.

The Emotional Transition: An Introduction

Hello, fellow quitter! If you’re here, it means you’re leaving grad school, or quitting the adjunct circuit, or bailing on the job market, or considering in some way getting out of academia. You've decided to pretty much change everything about your life as it is now, and everything about your hopes and dreams for the future. We've been there. We've done that. It's hard, but it is doable. 

Camdiluv ♥ via Compfight

So, yeah: expect to feel a lot of intense emotions around the decision to quit. Expect to feel them for quite awhile after you’ve left, too. Even for folks who leave academia on good terms, who simply want a different direction and have no regrets, feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and turmoil can crop up. In a month or a year you might glimpse a CFP your diss would have been perfect for, or see a job ad that you would have loved to apply for if only... We all hit those rough patches. It’s part of the territory. Because academia is more than just a job, right? It’s our life. It’s our passion, it’s our hobby, it’s our bread and butter, it’s our social circle, our hopes and dreams, our health insurance, our visa, our sense of self. Leaving academia is more than just changing vocational goals, it’s leaving a whole world behind. I’ve heard it compared to leaving a church, or the military. It’s understandably difficult to disentangle that web when you decide to leave. Heck, a lot of people stay in academia just to avoid that messy process.

So the first thing we want to say is: your feelings make sense. Quitting is freeing and can be extremely rewarding, but I think we’ve all found it difficult at times. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling overwhelmed, confused, sad, or angry.

The second thing we want to say is: you are not alone. It’s easy to feel isolated when you don’t have connections to people who’ve left academia, especially if you feel like you can’t talk openly about it with your advisor/partner/friends who are still in that world. But you are not alone. For all of us, finding a community of supportive post-academics has been really valuable, and we welcome you to join our conversation! Fire up a blog and join our blogroll, or just drop us an email. In regular life, think about people you know who’ve left and dropped off the map. They’re still out there. Look up that guy who was a fifth year when you started and quit to become a teacher: find him on facebook and ask questions. Ask around. Talk to people. It really helps.

But for some of us, friends and journaling aren’t enough and the support of a therapist, sometimes even a psychiatrist, is essential. I know it was crucial for me. Anxiety and depression can be excruciating and debilitating. You do not need to suffer through this process. Find help. Ask for help. Accept help.  More on this TBA.

D. Sharon Pruitt via Compfight

When we started this project, we all agreed that the dearth of info and support for the emotional transition you undergo when you leave academia had to be remedied. We hope the resources in this section offer some of the solace, perspective, and advice you need to navigate these rough waters.