Every state runs its own Medicaid program, which means there is no single national application. You apply through your state's agency portal, through HealthCare.gov (which forwards your file to your state), by phone, by mail, or in person at a county office. In the 40 states plus Washington D.C. that expanded Medicaid, adults ages 19 to 64 generally qualify with household income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, which is about $22,025 a year for one person and $45,540 for a family of four in 2026. In the 10 states that did not expand, adults without dependent children usually cannot qualify at any income level.
This guide covers the application portal for each state, the income thresholds that apply, the documents you need, and how long a decision takes.
The Fastest Way to Apply in Any State
Three paths lead to the same determination. Pick the one that fits your situation.
| Path | Best for | Typical timeline |
|---|
| State Medicaid or benefits portal | Anyone who knows they are likely Medicaid eligible; also applying for SNAP or cash assistance | Same-day submission, 45 day decision |
| HealthCare.gov or state marketplace | People unsure whether they qualify for Medicaid or a subsidized marketplace plan | Same-day submission, routed to state agency automatically |
| Phone or in person at county office | Applicants who need help with documents, have limited English, or lack internet | 30 to 60 minutes, plus processing |
If you are not sure which program fits, start at HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace. The application screens you for Medicaid, CHIP, and premium tax credits at once, and if your income looks Medicaid eligible, your account is transferred to the state agency rather than being rejected.
If you already know you are under the Medicaid threshold, going directly to the state portal is usually faster because you skip the marketplace handoff.
2026 Medicaid Income Limits for Adults (138% FPL)
Expansion states use modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI. The statute says 133% of the federal poverty level, but a standard 5% income disregard applies, so the effective cutoff is 138%.
| Household size | 100% FPL (annual) | 138% FPL (annual) | 138% FPL (monthly) |
|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $22,025 | $1,835 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $29,863 | $2,489 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $37,702 | $3,142 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $45,540 | $3,795 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $53,378 | $4,448 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $61,217 | $5,101 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $69,055 | $5,755 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $76,894 | $6,408 |
Alaska and Hawaii use higher poverty guidelines, so the dollar thresholds in those two states are roughly 25% and 15% higher respectively.
Other eligibility groups use different math:
- Children and CHIP: most states cover children up to somewhere between 200% and 400% FPL, well above the adult limit.
- Pregnancy coverage: typically 138% to 380% FPL depending on the state, with 12 months of postpartum coverage now standard in nearly every state.
- Aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid: usually tied to the SSI federal benefit rate, which is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple in 2026. These categories also apply an asset test, commonly $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
- Long term care and nursing home Medicaid: separate income and asset rules, often around 300% of the SSI benefit rate, with a five year lookback on asset transfers.
Expansion vs Non-Expansion: Why Your State Matters
Forty states and D.C. cover low income adults regardless of whether they have children. Ten do not: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In non-expansion states, adults without dependent children are generally not eligible for Medicaid no matter how low their income is. Parents can qualify, but the limits are far tighter, often between 15% and 100% FPL depending on the state. That produces what is called the coverage gap: people who earn too much for their state's Medicaid rules but too little to have been eligible for marketplace subsidies under the old 100% FPL floor.
Two of the ten are partial cases:
- Georgia runs Pathways to Coverage, which extends Medicaid to adults up to 100% FPL who document qualifying work, school, or volunteer activity.
- Wisconsin covers childless adults up to 100% FPL through BadgerCare Plus without adopting full expansion, so there is no coverage gap there, but no coverage above 100% FPL either.
If you live in a non-expansion state and fall in the gap, apply anyway. The determination is free, your household may include someone who does qualify, and a formal denial is what opens the door to a marketplace special enrollment period and to charity care programs at most hospitals.
Where to Apply: All 50 States and D.C.
| State | Program name | Where to apply | Expansion |
|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Medicaid | medicaid.alabama.gov or HealthCare.gov | No |
| Alaska | Alaska Medicaid / DenaliCare | aries.alaska.gov | Yes |
| Arizona | AHCCCS | healthearizonaplus.gov | Yes |
| Arkansas | ARHOME | access.arkansas.gov | Yes |
| California | Medi-Cal | BenefitsCal.com or coveredca.com | Yes |
| Colorado | Health First Colorado | Colorado PEAK (co.gov/peak) | Yes |
| Connecticut | HUSKY Health | accesshealthct.com | Yes |
| Delaware | Diamond State Health Plan | assist.dhss.delaware.gov | Yes |
| D.C. | DC Healthy Families | districtdirect.dc.gov | Yes |
| Florida | Florida Medicaid | myaccess.myflfamilies.com | No |
| Georgia | Medicaid / Pathways to Coverage | gateway.ga.gov | Partial |
| Hawaii | Med-QUEST | medical.mybenefits.hawaii.gov | Yes |
| Idaho | Idaho Medicaid | idalink.idaho.gov | Yes |
| Illinois | Medicaid / All Kids | abe.illinois.gov | Yes |
| Indiana | Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) | fssabenefits.in.gov | Yes |
| Iowa | Iowa Health and Wellness Plan | hhsservices.iowa.gov | Yes |
| Kansas | KanCare | applyforkancare.ks.gov | No |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Medicaid | kynect.ky.gov | Yes |
| Louisiana | Healthy Louisiana | ldh.la.gov (Medicaid Self-Service) | Yes |
| Maine | MaineCare | mymaineconnection.gov | Yes |
| Maryland | Maryland Medical Assistance | marylandhealthconnection.gov | Yes |
| Massachusetts | MassHealth | mahealthconnector.org | Yes |
| Michigan | Healthy Michigan Plan | newmibridges.michigan.gov | Yes |
| Minnesota | Medical Assistance | mnsure.org | Yes |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Medicaid | medicaid.ms.gov | No |
| Missouri | MO HealthNet | mydss.mo.gov | Yes |
| Montana | Montana Medicaid | apply.mt.gov | Yes |
| Nebraska | Heritage Health Adult | iserve.nebraska.gov | Yes |
| Nevada | Nevada Medicaid / Check Up | accessnevada.dwss.nv.gov | Yes |
| New Hampshire | Granite Advantage | nheasy.nh.gov | Yes |
| New Jersey | NJ FamilyCare | njfamilycare.org | Yes |
| New Mexico | Turquoise Care | yes.state.nm.us | Yes |
| New York | New York Medicaid | nystateofhealth.ny.gov | Yes |
| North Carolina | NC Medicaid | epass.nc.gov | Yes |
| North Dakota | ND Medicaid Expansion | applyforhelp.nd.gov | Yes |
| Ohio | Ohio Medicaid | benefits.ohio.gov | Yes |
| Oklahoma | SoonerCare | mysoonercare.org | Yes |
| Oregon | Oregon Health Plan (OHP) | one.oregon.gov | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Medical Assistance | compass.state.pa.us | Yes |
| Rhode Island | RIte Care | healthyrhode.ri.gov | Yes |
| South Carolina | Healthy Connections | apply.scdhhs.gov | No |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Medicaid | apply.sd.gov | Yes |
| Tennessee | TennCare | tenncareconnect.tn.gov | No |
| Texas | Texas Medicaid | yourtexasbenefits.com | No |
| Utah | Utah Medicaid | medicaid.utah.gov | Yes |
| Vermont | Green Mountain Care | vermonthealthconnect.gov | Yes |
| Virginia | Cardinal Care | commonhelp.virginia.gov | Yes |
| Washington | Apple Health | wahealthplanfinder.org | Yes |
| West Virginia | Mountain Health Trust | wvpath.wv.gov | Yes |
| Wisconsin | BadgerCare Plus | access.wi.gov | Partial |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Medicaid | wesystem.wyo.gov | No |
State portals get renamed and consolidated fairly often. If a link does not resolve, the current agency contact for every state is listed at medicaid.gov, and HealthCare.gov works as a universal fallback because it routes Medicaid-eligible applications to the correct state agency.
Step-by-Step: Applying for Medicaid
1. Count your household the way Medicaid counts it. For MAGI categories, household means the people on your federal tax return: you, your spouse if filing jointly, and your tax dependents. This is not the same as who lives in your home. A roommate is not in your household. An adult child you claim as a dependent is.
2. Add up countable monthly income. Wages before taxes, self-employment income after business expenses, unemployment compensation, Social Security retirement and SSDI, alimony from pre-2019 agreements, and investment income all count. SSI, child support received, most veterans benefits, and workers compensation do not count for MAGI Medicaid.
3. Gather documents before you start. Most portals time out and lose partial applications.
- Photo ID for the applicant
- Social Security numbers for everyone applying
- Proof of citizenship or qualified immigration status
- Proof of income: 30 days of pay stubs, or a benefit award letter, or last year's tax return for self-employment
- Proof of state residency: lease, utility bill, or mail with your address
- Current insurance information, including any employer plan offer
- For aged, blind, or disabled applications: bank statements, life insurance policies, vehicle titles, and property records
4. Create your account and submit. Save your confirmation number and application date. That date, not the approval date, is what determines when coverage begins.
5. Respond to verification requests fast. Most denials are procedural, not substantive. Agencies typically give 10 to 15 days to produce a requested document, and missing that window closes your file even if you were eligible. Check the portal's message center weekly.
6. Watch the clock. Federal rules give states 45 days to decide a standard application and 90 days when a disability determination is part of the case. If your state blows past those deadlines, you can request a fair hearing on the delay.
7. Choose a managed care plan. In most states, approval is followed by a plan selection window of 30 to 90 days. If you do not choose, you are auto-assigned, and switching later may be limited to an annual window or a for-cause change.
Retroactive Coverage for Bills You Already Have
Medicaid can pay bills incurred before you applied. In 2026, the standard retroactive window is up to three months prior to the application month, as long as you would have been eligible during those months. You have to ask for it, usually with a checkbox or a written request, and it is easy to miss on the online form.
This window narrows on January 1, 2027 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Expansion adults will get one month of retroactive coverage, and traditional Medicaid populations will get two months. If you have unpaid medical bills from earlier this year, applying before the end of 2026 preserves the wider window.
What Changes in 2027
Two federal changes take effect January 1, 2027 and will affect how applications and renewals work in expansion states.
Community engagement requirements. Adults ages 19 to 64 in the expansion group will generally need to document 80 hours per month of work, school, job training, or community service. Exemptions apply to pregnant people, medically frail individuals, primary caregivers of young children, and several other groups, and the exact exemption list varies by state. Applicants may be asked to show compliance for one to three months before the month of application. Montana and Nebraska have announced earlier starts.
Six-month renewals. Expansion adults will be redetermined every six months instead of annually, starting with renewals scheduled on or after December 31, 2026. Non-expansion categories and people whose eligibility is not income-based stay on annual renewal.
The practical takeaway for anyone enrolled: keep your mailing address, phone number, and email current with your state agency, and open the mail. Coverage losses during the 2023 to 2024 unwinding were overwhelmingly procedural, not because people had become ineligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for Medicaid in any state, or only where I live?
Only the state where you actually reside. Medicaid does not transfer across state lines, and coverage from your old state generally will not pay for routine care in a new one. If you move, close the old case and file a fresh application in the new state right away. Moving is a qualifying event, so you can also enroll in a marketplace plan if you no longer qualify for Medicaid.
Is there an open enrollment period for Medicaid?
No. Medicaid and CHIP accept applications every day of the year. Open enrollment only applies to marketplace plans. If you apply through HealthCare.gov outside of open enrollment and the system finds you Medicaid eligible, your application still goes through.
What happens if I am denied?
You get a written notice with the reason and appeal instructions. You generally have 90 days to request a fair hearing, though some states use 30 or 60 days, so read the notice. If the denial was procedural, submitting the missing document is often faster than appealing. A denial also triggers a 60 day special enrollment period for marketplace coverage.
Does Medicaid check my bank account or assets?
For MAGI categories, which covers most adults, children, and pregnant people, there is no asset test at all. Only income matters. Asset tests apply to aged, blind, disabled, and long term care Medicaid, where the typical limit is $2,000 for an individual.
How long does approval take?
Federal rules require a decision within 45 days, or 90 days if disability is being determined. Many states with automated verification approve straightforward MAGI applications in one to two weeks, and some issue same-day presumptive eligibility for pregnant applicants and children. Applications requiring manual income verification take the longest.
Can I have Medicaid and other insurance at the same time?
Yes. Medicaid coordinates as the payer of last resort behind employer coverage or Medicare. Dual eligible enrollees with Medicare often get help with premiums, deductibles, and services Medicare does not cover, such as long term care. You cannot hold both Medicaid and a subsidized marketplace plan, though, so cancel marketplace coverage once Medicaid starts to avoid repaying tax credits.
What if my income changes after I am approved?
Report it to your state agency, usually within 10 days. An income increase does not automatically end coverage. Many states have a period of continued eligibility, and children in most states keep 12 months of continuous coverage regardless of household income changes. Failing to report is what creates problems at renewal.
