Medicaid and CHIP Coverage of Lawfully Residing Children & Pregnant Women

Additional Resources

Overview of Eligibility for Non-Citizens in Medicaid and CHIP

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) included a new option for states to provide Medicaid and CHIP coverage to children and pregnant women who are lawfully residing in the United States, including those within their first five years of having certain legal status. Previously, federal law required a 5-year waiting period before many legal immigrants were permitted to enroll in Medicaid and CHIP, although many states offered health coverage to these populations with state-only funds. This coverage may be applied to pregnant women in Medicaid and CHIP and/or to children up to age 19 for CHIP or up to age 21 for Medicaid who would otherwise be eligible for coverage through these programs.

Learn more about providing health coverage to lawfully residing children and pregnant women.

States providing Medicaid or CHIP coverage to lawfully residing children and/or pregnant women include:

State	CHIP	Medicaid
American Samoa***		Children and pregnant women
Arkansas	Children	Children and pregnant women*
California	Children	Children and pregnant women
Colorado	Children and pregnant women	Children and pregnant women*
Connecticut	Children	Children and pregnant women
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)***		Children and pregnant women*
Washington, D.C.***		Children and pregnant women
Delaware	Children	Children and pregnant women
Florida	Children	Children*
Hawaii***		Children and pregnant women*
Illinois	Children	Children*
Iowa	Children	Children
Kentucky	Children and pregnant women	Children and pregnant women*
Louisiana	Children	Children*
Maine	Children	Children and pregnant women
Maryland***		Children and pregnant women
Massachusetts	Children	Children and pregnant women
Minnesota	Children	Children and pregnant women
Montana	Children	Children*
Nebraska	Children	Children and pregnant women*
New Jersey	Children and pregnant women	Children and pregnant women
New Mexico***		Children and pregnant women
New York	Children	Children and pregnant women
Nevada	Children	Children and pregnant women*
North Carolina	Children	Children and pregnant women*
Ohio***		Children and pregnant women
Oregon	Children	Children*
Pennsylvania	Children	Children and pregnant women
Rhode Island	Children and pregnant women	Children*
South Carolina***		Children and pregnant women
Texas	Children	Children*
U.S. Virgin Islands***		Children and pregnant women
Utah	Children	Children*
Vermont***		Children and pregnant women
Virginia**	Children and pregnant women	Children and pregnant women*
Washington	Children	Children and pregnant women
West Virginia	Children and pregnant women	Children and pregnant women*
Wisconsin	Children	Children and pregnant women*
Wyoming		Pregnant women

Updated as of May 4, 2023.

* These states cover children in Medicaid up to age 19.

** Virginia is using an 1115 demonstration to cover pregnant women.

*** These states are CHIP Medicaid expansion programs.