Complicated insurance question for friend who had a stroke and is relocating to different state

My friend (F57) had a stroke and we are unsure if she is going to be able to go back to work. She currently lives in New York and did not qualify for Medicaid because she made too much money in 2024. She has been able to take advantage of a state program called Fidelis Essentials which has been described as a "hybrid Medicaid" program. Basically she has minimal co-pays and no other out of pocket expenses. She's applied for disability, but based on everything I've read I doubt she'll be approved.

Because she can't currently work we're planning for her to relocate from New York to Utah and live with me in mid-November. That's when her speech and physical therapy treatments for her stroke are finished. The problem is that Utah does not seem to have one of these hybrid Medicaid plans. She also has a diabetic ulcer on one leg that requires weekly treatments. So if she buys a plan on the ACA she will hit the maximum out of pocket immediately, which would be thousands of dollars she doesn't have.

I'm assuming that she should be able to qualify for Medicaid in January. Is that true? I'm assuming that she'll be able to qualify because she will have little if any income in 2025, but I don't know what the rules are. Are there any strategies people can suggest for her to maintain coverage for the month and a half when she first arrives to live with me? I understand that she'll have to reapply for Medicaid in Utah, but I don't know how that works. How long will that process take?

We've discussed maybe just having her stay in New York until January when presumably she will be eligible for Medicaid again, but her current living situation isn't great.

In a nutshell I'm hoping people can recommend a strategy for us to help her maintain coverage during the relocation and then get on Medicaid going forward. Thanks much to anyone who can help.

submitted by /u/rrickitickitavi
[comments]