Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities in Pennsylvania (MAWD)

What MAWD Actually Is

Most people assume you cannot work and keep Medicaid in Pennsylvania. That assumption costs people their health coverage every year.

Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities — MAWD — is a Pennsylvania Medical Assistance category for people with disabilities who work. It has separate income and asset rules, so eligibility requires a MAWD-specific review.

MAWD runs through the same County Assistance Offices that handle all Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania. The Department of Human Services administers it under category codes PW (cash) and PI (non-cash), with program status code 00.

Who Qualifies for MAWD

To be eligible, you must meet all of these criteria:

• Age and disability criteria — ask your County Assistance Office (CAO) which current standards and documentation apply
• Working — MAWD is a working-disabled category; tell the CAO about your work and earnings
• MAWD income and asset rules — these are separate from standard Medical Assistance limits; ask the CAO to calculate countable amounts

The Medicare Savings Program limits in this guide are not MAWD limits. Use a MAWD-specific review for income and resources.

How MAWD Connects to Medicare

For younger people with disabilities who have Medicare, one issue is how earned income, MAWD, and Healthy Horizons eligibility interact.

MAWD and the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, or QI) are separate DHS categories. Ask your CAO to review each program; a MAWD decision does not establish MSP eligibility.

How to Apply

MAWD applications go through the same channels as any Medical Assistance application in Pennsylvania:

1. Online through COMPASS at compass.dhs.pa.gov — select the Medical Assistance application and ask the CAO which MAWD-specific information is required
2. In person at your County Assistance Office — ask which MAWD-specific requirements and documents apply
3. By paper application — Form PA 600 is the general Medical Assistance application; confirm with your CAO whether MAWD requires additional information

Your CAO will tell you which documents it needs to verify disability, work, income and resources, identity, and Pennsylvania residency.

Your CAO reviews the application and sends a written decision. If approved, check the notice for the coverage effective date. An ACCESS card identifies you as a Medical Assistance recipient but does not by itself confirm coverage for a particular date of service.

MAWD Premiums

Ask your County Assistance Office whether a MAWD premium applies to your case and how the current amount is calculated. Confirm any amount and payment instructions with the CAO.

What Happens If You Stop Working

Because MAWD is a working-disabled category, contact your County Assistance Office promptly if your work status changes. Ask whether MAWD still applies or whether another Medical Assistance category fits your circumstances. If you also have Medicare, PA MEDI offers free Medicare counseling.

Getting the Full Picture

MAWD is one piece of Pennsylvania's cost-help system for people with disabilities. If you also have Medicare, the interaction between MAWD, the Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help for Part D, and PACE/PACENET can get complicated — each program has distinct eligibility rules.

The Pennsylvania Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help & PACE/PACENET Guide covers the Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, and PACE/PACENET, including Pennsylvania's MSP income calculations and how QMB, SLMB, or QI enrollment triggers automatic Extra Help.

See more Pennsylvania guides →