Medicaid until 26 for young adults who were in foster care
If you were in foster care when you turned 18 (or the older age your state chose) and you had Medicaid while in care, you can usually keep or get Medicaid until you turn 26. There is no income limit and no asset limit for this group.12
If you turned 18 on or after January 1, 2023, foster care in any state counts, so you can move and still qualify. If you turned 18 before that date, the rule is narrower: you generally need to apply in the state where you were in care, though some states, like Utah and California, cover more people.3258
Updated October 2026. Rules differ by state, so call your office before you go. Questions? We're here: call or text 888-860-RISE.
Still in care? Lock this in before you leave
In the 90 days before you turn 18 (or the later age your state uses), your caseworker must help you make a transition plan. It has to cover your health insurance options and tell you about naming someone to make health care decisions if you can't, such as with a health care power of attorney.4
When you leave care at 18 or later, the state must give you your health insurance information, your medical records, and papers showing you were in foster care, unless you were in care less than 6 months. Keep those papers. They make the Medicaid application much easier.4
Your steps, in order
- 1
Check whether you fit the former foster youth group
You fit this group if you are under 26, you were in foster care when you turned 18 (or an older age your state picked, up to 21), and you were enrolled in Medicaid while you were in that care.1
You can be placed in this group even if you could also qualify some other way, as long as you aren't already enrolled in that other group. Your income and savings don't matter.1
Tip:Not sure if you were on Medicaid in care? Most young people in foster care were. Apply anyway and say you were in foster care; the state can check its records.
- 2
Find out which rule applies to you
Turned 18 on or after January 1, 2023 (born on or after January 1, 2005): the foster care and Medicaid can be from any state. Your new state has to recognize it.31
Turned 18 before January 1, 2023: you generally qualify only in the state where you were in foster care. States are allowed to cover youth from other states through a special federal approval, and some do. Ask your state Medicaid agency.23
- 3
Apply, and say you were in foster care
Apply through your state's Medicaid agency, or through HealthCare.gov. Since December 17, 2023, the HealthCare.gov application treats young adults who moved from another state as eligible for Medicaid if they meet the other state rules.3
Answer yes to the question about being in foster care at 18 or older, and name the state where you were in care. States are encouraged to accept your own statement about your foster care and Medicaid history, especially when it was in another state.102
If you were in care in another state, staff may call that state to confirm. In New York, the notice tells you to call NY State of Health customer service so they can check with the other state.109
Bring- Your date of birth and Social Security number
- The state (and county, if you know it) where you were in foster care
- Your discharge papers or any letter showing you were in foster care
- An old Medicaid card or health insurance information from when you were in care
- A photo ID if you have one
- 4
Keep your coverage until 26
Once you're enrolled, you stay eligible in this group until 26 as long as you live in the state. Because there is no income test, the state doesn't need to recheck your income at renewal.12
When you turn 26, the state must review whether you qualify for Medicaid another way before your coverage ends.1
Tip:Keep your mailing address and phone number up to date with Medicaid. Renewal letters that go to an old address are a common reason people lose coverage.
- 5
If you're told no
Ask for the reason in writing. In Texas, for example, if you don't fit the former foster youth group, staff must check you for the state's other medical programs.10
If you think the decision is wrong, read your notice for how to appeal and the deadline, and talk to a free legal aid office. LawHelp.org lists nonprofit legal aid providers in every state. You can also call 888-860-RISE and we'll help you reach a real person to sort out the next step.11
State examples
Every state must cover this group, but how you apply and which out-of-state youth are covered can differ. These are examples from each state's own pages.
Utah
Covers ages 18 to 26, through the month you turn 26, with no income or asset test. Foster care through DCFS, a tribe, Catholic Community Services' refugee program, or an equal agency in another state counts; youth from other states have been covered since February 1, 2016. Juvenile Justice Services custody doesn't count. Apply at jobs.utah.gov/mycase, at any Workforce Services office, or call 1-866-435-7414.57
Utah (if you don't qualify above)
Foster Care Independent Living Medicaid covers youth through age 21 who aged out and get Independent Living Services through DCFS.6
California
Medi-Cal covers former foster youth under 26 who were in another state's or a tribe's foster care and had Medicaid when they turned 18 or aged out, under a federal approval from 2017.8
New York
Since January 1, 2023, youth who were in another state's foster care at 18 or older and turned 18 on or after that date can get Medicaid without an income test until 26. Apply through NY State of Health and mark your former foster care status.9
Texas
Covers ages 18 to 26. If you turned 18 before January 1, 2023, you must have aged out in Texas. If you turned 18 on or after that date, you can have aged out in any state while on Medicaid. You must live in Texas.10
Stuck on a step? You don't have to do this alone.
Call or text, and we'll help you find the right office and what to bring. Someone on our team can step in whenever youwhat to bring, with a real person on our team whenever you need one.apos;d like. Or become a RISING MEMBER: a mentor who's been there helps you build a plan, step by step. You do the work; we walk with you.
Questions people ask
Can former foster youth get Medicaid until 26?
Yes, in every state, if you were in foster care at 18 (or the older age your state chose) and had Medicaid while in care. There is no income limit for this group.
I aged out in one state and moved. Can I get Medicaid in my new state?
If you turned 18 on or after January 1, 2023, yes: your new state must count foster care from any state. If you turned 18 earlier, it depends on your new state. Utah and California, for example, cover young adults from other states.
Does my job or income affect this Medicaid?
No. The former foster youth group has no income or asset test, so a raise or a new job won't end it before 26.
Do I need proof I was in foster care?
Often your own statement is enough to start, and states are encouraged to accept it. Bring your discharge papers if you have them, and expect the state to confirm with the state where you were in care.
What happens when I turn 26?
The state must check whether you qualify for Medicaid another way before it ends your coverage. If you don't, look at Marketplace plans at HealthCare.gov or your state's site.
Keep going: more first-step guides
Sources
Official pages, read in October 2026. Rules change. If something here looks out of date, please let us know at hello@riseaid.org and we'll fix it.
- 1.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Former foster care coverage changes under the SUPPORT Act (December 2022)
- 2.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. State Health Official Letter #22-003: Former foster care children eligibility group
- 3.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Former foster care children Medicaid policy update (January 2024)
- 4.U.S. Code (via Cornell Law School). 42 U.S.C. § 675: transition plans and documents for youth leaving foster care
- 5.Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Medicaid Policy Manual 354-3: Former Foster Care Individuals
- 6.Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Foster Care Medicaid
- 7.Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Apply for Medicaid
- 8.California Department of Health Care Services. Acceptance of the former foster care youth amendment to the Medi-Cal 2020 demonstration (2017)
- 9.New York State Department of Health. 23 OHIP/INF-1: Medicaid for former foster care youth from other states
- 10.Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Texas Works Handbook E-110: Medicaid for Former Foster Care Children
- 11.LawHelp.org (Pro Bono Net). Find legal help by state