Benefits in Maine: what you may be able to apply for

Key difference in this state

🌟🌟 In Maine, people who are pregnant and people under 21 can get full MaineCare coverage regardless of immigration status. This is coverage the state pays for itself, and the official bulletin states it applies to "Children under 21 years of age who would be otherwise eligible for federal Medicaid benefits but are not eligible due to their immigration status" and to "pregnant people who are not eligible for federal Medicaid benefits due to their immigration status", for dates of service beginning July 1, 2022. 🌟🌟 And you do not have to produce immigration documents to apply. The same bulletin says, word for word: "Immigrants who are living in the U.S. without the knowledge or approval of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are not required to provide documentation, nor does the Department attempt to verify documentation with USCIS." 🔴 There is a federal change coming, and it is close, so read this part now. Maine DHHS published a bulletin on July 1, 2026: beginning October 1, 2026, some noncitizens will no longer be eligible for full MaineCare — the example the bulletin gives is "refugees and asylees who have not yet received a green card (Lawful Permanent Residence status)". Those affected move to Emergency Services MaineCare coverage only beginning in October 2026. 🌟 But read the next sentence with it, because it decides who in your household is not affected: the bulletin states that in Maine this will not impact children with these immigration statuses who are under 21, or pregnant people through 12 months after pregnancy — children and pregnant people will still have coverage. 🔴 The notice timeline: the state sent an early awareness letter to affected households on June 26, 2026, and OFI will send a formal Notice of Decision if and when eligibility changes, with those notices expected to be mailed in September 2026. So if you or someone in your family may be affected, make sure OFI has your current mailing address — the notices go to the address on file. 🔴 One boundary we will not fill in on the agency's behalf: the bulletin itself states that this eligibility change has not gone through the official state rule-making process by OFI yet, so the details remain preliminary. Go by the formal Notice of Decision you receive, and do not settle the question for yourself from this page or from anyone's summary of it. 🔴🔴 Public charge: Medicaid is not counted in the current public charge test — the rule effective December 23, 2022 considers only public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense — 🔴 the one exception being long-term institutional care paid for by the government. For your own case, consult a licensed immigration attorney.