You'd qualify based on income but probably be excluded for having too many assets. The limit in New York is $32,396.

Looks like that goes up to $44k for a couple, a vehicle is exempt, and home equity is exempt up to a million and change.

There’s also ACA credits that don’t have an asset test.

MAGI based Medicare doesn’t have asset limits.

Woah, I had no idea. This rebuts one of my main concerns from the original article: They did not include healthcare costs. But you are right. A little bit of Googling found this plan: "New York (State) Essential Plan". Details: https://www.nyhealthinsurer.com/new-york-essential-plan/

    > Frequently Asked Questions
    > Who qualifies for the Essential Plan?
    > Residents aged 19–64, living in New York, with incomes 138%–250% FPL (e.g., $21,597–$39,125 for a single adult in 2025), U.S. citizens or eligible immigrants, not on Medicaid or Medicare.

This is pretty wild. I'm not saying the coverage will be amazing, but if you are a "starving artist/writer", this is pretty good. You can buy that little log cabin and work 20 hours a week pumping gas (or working at a supermarket). The rest of the time, you can do your art/writing.