Can immigrants enroll in Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage?

Most lawfully present immigrants with a “qualified” immigration status who meet Medicaid and CHIP program requirements, such as income and state residency, can enroll in Medicaid or CHIP after they have been in the United States with qualified status for 5 years or more. A list of “qualified statuses” can be found here.

Some groups of lawfully present immigrants do not have to wait five years before they may enroll in Medicaid and CHIP. These include refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian immigrants; veterans and military families; pregnant women and children in some states; and citizens of Compact of Free Association (COFA) communities.

The groups eligible for Medicaid and CHIP will be limited to lawful permanent residents, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, COFA migrants, and lawfully residing pregnant women and children in states that cover them beginning October 1, 2026.

Some lawfully present immigrants who are authorized to work in the United States cannot enroll in Medicaid, even if they have been in the country for five or more years.

Undocumented immigrants may not enroll in Medicaid or CHIP coverage, although some states provide coverage to pregnant people through the end of their pregnancy, regardless of immigration status. Some states also use state-only funds to cover some groups of low-income immigrants regardless of immigration status.