Medicaid and CHIP Coverage of Lawfully Residing Children & Pregnant Women

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (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 (PDF, 188.34 KB).

Medicaid and CHIP Coverage of Lawfully Residing Children and Pregnant Women

The 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.

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

Updated as of December 11, 2019.

* 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.