UPDATE: In 2020, the requirements and application steps for getting Medicaid insurance did not change.

Medicaid is a health insurance program paid for by the federal government. It gives free or low cost insurance to lower-income people and their families. Want to learn how to apply for Medicaid? Read the information below to find out more about the process.

Where can I apply for Medicaid?

A lot of states let you apply for Medicaid online. You can fill out a form on their websites. It takes about half an hour to an hour to fill out the application. If you can’t apply online in your state, you should be able to print out an application. After printing out the application, fill out the form and turn it in when you are ready.

You can get an application form at your local Medicaid office, too. At the Medicaid office, you can ask for help with filling out the form. Then you can hand it in to a Medicaid office worker or you can mail it in later if you want to take the application home to review it.

What documents do I need to apply for Medicaid?

Different states handle Medicaid applications differently. Your state might ask you to bring in different documents from someone else’s state. Documents are used to see if you might qualify for Medicaid. Double-check with your state office to make sure you have the right documents.

Usually, you will be asked to bring:

• Proof that you and everyone else in your house are U.S. citizens.
• Documents that show how much money your family makes.
• Social Security cards for everyone in your family.
• Proof of where you live.
• Proof of health insurance plans that you were on in the past.

If you can’t get one of the documents that the office needs, you will have to send it in another day. This can delay your benefits. So make sure you get all your documents ready ahead of time.

What happens next?

It will take some time to find out if you qualify for Medicaid after you apply. But there is good news. If you get into the program, Medicaid will sometimes go back and pay for any medical bills from the last few months before you applied.

Learn About Plans and Quotes

Not sure if you qualify for Medicaid? You might still qualify for a cheap insurance plan from a private company. You can look at plans and how much they cost online by getting quotes. You can compare quotes from all of the biggest health insurance companies, like:

• Blue Cross, Blue Shield.
• Aetna.
• Humana.
• United.
• Assurant.
• Kaiser.
• Cigna.

Then you can decide which plan works for you.