How to Get Free or Low-Cost Health Insurance

Who Qualifies?

Medicaid works slightly differently in each state. To be eligible, you must meet low-income guidelines (depending on your eligibility category, you may also need to have low assets to qualify for Medicaid).

These guidelines vary depending on several factors including your age, whether you're pregnant, and whether you're disabled.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid, here is an overview of who is covered in most states:

• Adults under the age of 65 if their household income is no more than 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL)

• Some states have stricter eligibility criteria for adults under the age of 65. To qualify for Medicaid in those states, you must meet low-income guidelines and be a member of a medically vulnerable group (e.g. people who are pregnant, the parents/caretakers of a minor child, the elderly, disabled people, and children).

• Pregnant people and children (income limits for these populations are generally quite a bit higher than the income limits for non-pregnant adults).

• Disabled people and people age 65 and older, with lower incomes and few assets.

• As of 2024, there are nine states where being low-income by itself will not make you eligible for Medicaid if you're a non-pregnant adult.These states have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, and thus have a coverage gap.

(Ten states have not expanded Medicaid, but Wisconsin does provide Medicaid to adults with income up to the poverty level, which means the state does not have a coverage gap.)