Medicaid
Public health insurance for low-income people, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, pregnancy, and children's care. States run it under federal rules, and each state has its own name and details (California calls it Medi-Cal).
Key difference in this state
Massachusetts (MassHealth) covers immigrants by group and โ unlike California โ does NOT give full-scope MassHealth to all adults regardless of status. (1) Pregnant/postpartum โ pregnant people in ANY noncitizen group (including undocumented) may get full MassHealth benefits while pregnant and for 12 months postpartum, if otherwise eligible and within financial limits. (2) Children โ children under 21 who are Lawfully Present Immigrants or PRUCOL can get comprehensive MassHealth; but children under 19 who are "other noncitizens" (i.e., undocumented) are NOT enrolled in comprehensive MassHealth and instead may get the Children's Medical Security Plan (CMSP), a more limited primary- and preventive-care plan. (3) Adults (19/21-64 and 65+) โ comprehensive MassHealth (Standard/CarePlus) requires being a citizen or qualified noncitizen (e.g., a green-card holder past the 5-year bar); undocumented and other non-qualifying adults get only MassHealth Limited (emergency services, including labor and delivery) plus the Health Safety Net. Lawfully present people over the MassHealth income limits may buy subsidized ConnectorCare through the Massachusetts Health Connector. ๐ด Federal change: under the new federal law, as of October 1, 2026, some lawfully present immigrants lose comprehensive MassHealth (MassHealth estimates about 7,300 members affected) โ e.g., refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees, people with status because they or a family member survived abuse or trafficking, people whose deportation was withheld, pre-1980 conditional entrants, and certain Iraqi/Afghan/Ukrainian/Amerasian immigrants. You are NOT affected if you also have a status such as green-card holder, Cuban/Haitian entrant, or COFA (Micronesia/Marshall Islands/Palau) migrant, OR are a child under 21, OR are pregnant/postpartum (pregnant within the last 12 months, whatever the outcome). Those affected switch to other coverage: members 65+ or disabled generally move to MassHealth Family Assistance, and members 21-64 and non-disabled generally move to MassHealth Limited and/or the Health Safety Net. This is a changing area โ check the latest official MassHealth guidance.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Public health coverage for children in families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage. It is jointly funded by the federal and state governments (Title XXI of the Social Security Act). Each state designs and runs its own program under federal rules โ as a separate CHIP, as a Medicaid-expansion CHIP, or both โ so the name, income limits, and details differ by state (state eligibility levels range from about 170% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level). Besides children, some states' separate CHIP programs also cover pregnant women.
Key difference in this state
๐ด Massachusetts requires precision on children and immigration status, because the dividing line here is real and vagueness would hurt people. (1) Who gets comprehensive MassHealth (including the CHIP-funded tier): under 130 CMR 505.005 (revised February 13, 2026), a child with income above 150% and up to 300% FPL qualifies for MassHealth Family Assistance only if the child is "a citizen," "a lawfully present immigrant," or "a nonqualified PRUCOL" (a person residing under color of law); MassHealth Standard (130 CMR 505.002) likewise requires a citizen or lawfully present immigrant. So MassHealth children's coverage is NOT "regardless of immigration status." (2) What an undocumented child actually gets โ a child who is neither lawfully present nor a PRUCOL: first, MassHealth Limited, which covers emergency services only; and second, CMSP (the Children's Medical Security Plan), officially defined as coverage "for primary and preventive medical and dental services to certain uninsured children who do not qualify for any other MassHealth types of coverage (other than MassHealth Limited)." CMSP takes children under 19 "at any income level," but it is a limited primary/preventive plan, not comprehensive coverage: dental is capped at $750 per state fiscal year, pharmacy at $200 per state fiscal year, outpatient mental health including substance use at 20 visits per year, and durable medical equipment at $200 per state fiscal year (plus $300 for asthma, diabetes and seizure-disorder equipment). Emergency room services, ambulance and other medical transportation, and inpatient hospital care are all NOT covered. The state also notes, "There may be a waiting list to receive CMSP coverage." ๐ด So do not read CMSP as "undocumented children get CHIP/MassHealth too" โ it buys office visits and immunizations, not hospital stays or the emergency room. (3) Pregnancy is the more generous rule: under 130 CMR 505.002(D), a pregnant person with income at or below 200% FPL is eligible for MassHealth Standard if they are a citizen, a lawfully present immigrant, a nonqualified PRUCOL, or an "other noncitizen" โ that last category means the coverage effectively reaches people regardless of immigration status, and it continues for 12 months postpartum. But that is Medicaid pregnancy coverage, not CHIP. This is a changing area โ check the latest official MassHealth guidance.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")
Monthly food benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need. Benefits come on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card โ EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 โ which you swipe like a bank card at authorized grocery stores. The benefit amount is based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, updated each year to keep pace with food prices, and depends on your household size and how much monthly income is left after certain expenses are deducted. It is a federal program (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), but state public assistance agencies run it through their local offices โ you must apply in the state where you currently live, so the application and the local name vary by state (California calls it CalFresh). Benefits generally arrive no later than 30 days after the office receives your application; households with little or no money that need help right away may get benefits within 7 days.
Key difference in this state
๐ด The honest headline for Massachusetts: the state did build its own food program for immigrants federal SNAP leaves out โ and then let it end, so today it is not there to catch you. (1) That program was the State SNAP Supplement. DTA states it "was a new type of food assistance that was signed into law by Governor Healey on December 4, 2023," and that it "helped certain lawfully-present immigrants who were not eligible for federal SNAP benefits because of their immigration status." (2) ๐ด But it is over. DTA states: "The funding for the State SNAP Supplement has now ended. The last payments were made in April 2024," and "There are no immediate plans to restart the State SNAP Supplement." So a lawfully-present immigrant whom the 2025 federal law removes from SNAP does not, right now, have a Massachusetts state-funded food benefit to fall back on โ this is the opposite of Washington, whose FAP still runs, and it means Massachusetts should not be assumed to be a safe harbor on food. (3) ๐ What Massachusetts still offers regardless of status: DTA says plainly, "SNAP is not part of a public charge test. If you are not a U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant, it is safe for you to apply and get SNAP for an eligible family member (like a U.S. citizen child)." A mixed-status household should still apply for its eligible members โ most importantly U.S.-citizen children. (4) Where DTA points people instead: for community food resources it lists Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333, and it directs anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, or with a child under age 5 to WIC. If the Legislature ever refunds the supplement, DTA says it "will contact you if you are eligible" and tells people to keep their EBT card. This is a changing area โ confirm your situation with DTA.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Nutrition support for pregnancy and early childhood. In USDA's own words, WIC "serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care." Coverage runs from pregnancy until a child turns 5: pregnant women; postpartum women (up to 6 months after the end of a pregnancy); breastfeeding women (up to the infant's first birthday); infants; and children up to their fifth birthday. Every applicant first gets a free, simple health check by WIC staff, and must be individually determined to be at nutrition risk by a health professional โ two major types are recognized: medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, a history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes; and dietary risks such as inappropriate feeding practices or failure to meet the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food benefits come on an eWIC card, which works just like a debit card and can be used at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets. Benefits are not limited to food: they also include health screening, nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, immunization screening and referral, and substance abuse referral. It is a federal program (USDA), but in USDA's words, "while funded through grants from the Federal Government, WIC is administered by 89 State agencies," with services at county health departments, hospitals, schools, Indian Health Service facilities, and other clinic locations โ you apply through a WIC agency in your area, so the local name and process vary. Moms, dads, foster parents, and anyone else raising kids under 5 can apply for the kids in their care.
Key difference in this state
๐ด Here we have to be careful and honest. Federal rules let a state choose to limit WIC to U.S. citizens, nationals, and qualified aliens (7 CFR 246.7(c)(3)) โ and for Massachusetts we could not ground the state's position on that choice either way from its official WIC pages. What we did find: the Massachusetts WIC Nutrition Program (the state Department of Public Health) sets out who can participate as living in Massachusetts, having a nutritional need, being a child under 5 or a new, pregnant, or breastfeeding mother, and having a family income under the WIC guidelines; and the documents its apply page asks for are proof of income, proof that you live in Massachusetts, and proof of identity โ no immigration document is listed, and the page adds that "All information shared with WIC is confidential." We did not find a citizenship or immigration requirement on those pages. ๐ด But note the distinction carefully: not finding a requirement is not the same as a verified "no," and it is not the same as New York's or Washington's affirmative "regardless of immigration status" / "U.S. citizenship is not required" โ Massachusetts's pages simply do not address the status question one way or the other. Federal WIC law itself sets no status requirement (see the WIC program page), so the practical answer is likely favorable, but before you rely on it, confirm your own situation with the Massachusetts WIC Program (800-942-1007) or your local WIC office. ๐ One thing Massachusetts does say plainly, and it is grounded: "WIC is not included in the federal government's public charge rule." ๐ You are automatically income eligible if you or a family member already receives MassHealth/Medicaid, SNAP, or TAFDC/cash assistance. ๐ด WIC is not counted in the public charge test โ the detail lives on the WIC program page.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
A refundable federal tax credit for low- to moderate-income working people and families. In the IRS's words, the EITC "helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe โ and maybe increase your refund." The key word is refundable โ as the IRS puts it, "This is a refundable credit, so you can get back more than you pay in taxes." In plain terms: you can get money back even if you owe no tax at all. You must have earned income (wages, salary, tips, or self-employment income), and you claim it on your federal tax return โ there is no separate application form, no office to visit, and no waiting list. The credit is larger if you have qualifying children, but workers without any children can also get a smaller version. For tax year 2025 (the return you file in 2026), the maximum credit is $649 with no qualifying children, $4,328 with one, $7,152 with two, and $8,046 with three or more. The tax year 2025 income cutoffs (adjusted gross income) are $19,104 (single, head of household, married filing separately, or qualifying surviving spouse) or $26,214 (married filing jointly) with no children; $50,434 / $57,554 with one child; $57,310 / $64,430 with two; and $61,555 / $68,675 with three or more. Investment income must be $11,950 or less for tax year 2025. These amounts are adjusted every year โ rely on the IRS tables for the year you are actually filing. This is a purely federal program, administered directly by the IRS under one nationwide set of rules; states have no role in the federal EITC. But note: separately from this federal credit, many states and some local governments run their own state EITC, usually set as a percentage of the federal credit, varying in whether it is refundable, and sometimes with different rules โ see your state's details.
Key difference in this state
The federal EITC requires a Social Security number valid for employment, so a family that files with ITINs cannot claim it โ see the federal rule for this program. The question here is whether Massachusetts's own credit is different, and on the point that matters most โ ITIN filers โ the honest answer is no: the Massachusetts EITC follows the federal rule. The Department of Revenue lists among its requirements that "You, your spouse and any qualifying child have a valid Social Security Number," and states that "The Massachusetts EITC is available to certain individuals or families who meet the tax requirements for the federal EITC." Because the state credit is set at 40% of the federal credit and is gated on federal eligibility, an ITIN filer who cannot claim the federal EITC also cannot claim the Massachusetts EITC. ๐ด We checked the mass.gov page specifically for an ITIN carve-out and did not find one; advocacy groups are campaigning to extend the credit to ITIN filers, but as of this page (updated December 23, 2025) it has not been enacted โ so, unlike California, Oregon, or Washington, there is no state-EITC moat here for ITIN filers. What Massachusetts does open to ITIN filers is a different credit: the Child and Family Tax Credit, which a taxpayer with an SSN or ITIN may claim for a qualifying child under 13, a disabled dependent or spouse, or a dependent age 65 or over โ see the note below. ๐ด The Massachusetts EITC is refundable, so a worker with an SSN who qualifies can receive it as a refund even after their tax is reduced to zero. ๐ด Note the boundary: this is a tax credit, not an immigration determination, and it does not change anyone's status.
This page lists only the programs we've covered so far โ it does not mean these are the only benefits in this state.