Medicaid in Mississippi: what you may be able to apply for

🔎 Will this affect your green card?

Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. See details →

What it is

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).

Mississippi Medicaid (Mississippi's Medicaid program, operated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid/DOM; 🔴 Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid; apply through Mississippi ACCESS / medicaid.ms.gov)

Who may qualify

Income limit

Pregnant women≤ 194% FPLMississippi Medicaid's pregnancy line is about 194% FPL, covering through 12 months postpartum; a pregnant minor qualifies regardless of family income. 🔴 But the immigration point: a lawfully residing pregnant woman in Mississippi generally still faces the five-year bar (Mississippi did not take the no-wait option), and an undocumented pregnant woman has only Emergency Medicaid at delivery, with no CHIP unborn-child prenatal pathway (unlike Arkansas). Rely on the Mississippi Division of Medicaid for the current thresholds.
Source:Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov) · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Mississippi Medicaid covers pregnant women at about 194% FPL with 12 months postpartum coverage; Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid, so non-disabled childless adults are ineligible; parents/caretakers are covered at a very low limit (~22% FPL per the CMS national table); operated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov)”
Income Limits for Medicaid and CHIP Programs / Who Qualifies for Coverage — Mississippi Division of Medicaid — Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid (no expansion-adult category); pregnant women ~194% FPL with 12 months postpartum; parents/caretakers ~22% FPL; children/CHIP up to 209% FPL; operated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid
View the official document →
Low-income parents / caretaker relatives (with a dependent child)≤ 22% FPL🔴 Mississippi's Medicaid income line for parents/caretakers is extremely low (about 22% FPL per the CMS national table) — a family of three must have very low monthly income to qualify. 🔴 Non-expansion: a non-disabled adult with no minor children is generally ineligible no matter how low their income (the coverage gap). Meeting the line is not automatic eligibility; rely on the Mississippi Division of Medicaid for current figures.
Source:Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov) · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Mississippi has not adopted ACA Medicaid expansion; non-disabled adults without dependent children are not eligible regardless of income; parents/caretaker relatives are covered at roughly 22% FPL (CMS national eligibility table; healthinsurance.org Mississippi)”
Income Limits for Medicaid and CHIP Programs / Who Qualifies for Coverage — Mississippi Division of Medicaid — Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid (no expansion-adult category); pregnant women ~194% FPL with 12 months postpartum; parents/caretakers ~22% FPL; children/CHIP up to 209% FPL; operated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid
View the official document →

Immigration-status rules in this state

🔴 Mississippi is one of the states that has NOT expanded Medicaid (a sharp contrast with Arkansas's expansion): there is no 'expansion population' pathway for low-income adults — a non-disabled adult with no minor children is generally not eligible for Medicaid no matter how low their income (the 'coverage gap'). Mississippi Medicaid covers only the traditional categories: pregnant women, children, people 65+ or blind/disabled, and very-low-income parents/caretaker relatives. 🔴 The parent/caretaker income line is extremely low (the CMS national table renders it around 22% of poverty), and pregnant women about 194% FPL (12 months postpartum; a pregnant minor qualifies regardless of family income). 🔴🔴 Immigration status (understand this — Mississippi is on the strict side): a qualified immigrant generally must meet the five-year bar and its exceptions (refugees/asylees are exempt); 🔴 Mississippi did NOT take the CHIPRA 'lawfully residing children/pregnant women without a five-year wait' option (NASHP verbatim: lawfully residing children without the wait = No) — so lawfully residing immigrant children in Mississippi generally still face the five-year wait (unlike Arkansas, which exempts children; do not carry Arkansas's approach to Mississippi). Undocumented: generally only Emergency Medicaid (labor/delivery, emergencies); 🔴 Mississippi has NO CHIP unborn-child prenatal pathway (unlike Arkansas, which covers undocumented prenatal — in Mississippi an undocumented pregnant person's prenatal care is not covered by Medicaid/CHIP, only Emergency Medicaid at delivery). 🔴🔴 Public charge: Medicaid is CONDITIONAL — routine Medicaid does NOT count in the current (2022) public charge test (getting ordinary medical care does not affect your green card); but government-funded LONG-TERM institutional care (e.g., long-term nursing-home care) can be considered. Minors, pregnant/postpartum, and Emergency Medicaid generally do not count. Because cases differ, consult an immigration attorney; this is a changing area — verify with the Mississippi Division of Medicaid.

How to apply

What you'll need

Proof of identity, Mississippi residency, household income, and immigration documents DOM accepts (qualified-immigrant categories). Apply through Mississippi ACCESS (accessms) online or a local DOM regional office. Pregnant women/children get priority processing.

Timeline

You can apply year-round; pregnant women/children get priority. Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility. Once approved it covers current care; Emergency Medicaid covers only emergencies/delivery.

Go to the official application →

Mississippi Medicaid · Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov) · apply via Mississippi ACCESS · 🔴 non-expansion state

Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)

✅ Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application.

⚠️ The one exception: Medicaid that pays for long-term institutional care (a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental-health institution at government expense) DOES count. Everyday doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and home- and community-based care are not this exception.

➕ Because the current rule excludes all non-institutional Medicaid, Medicaid for children, pregnancy, and emergencies also does not count. In mixed-status families, eligible citizen or qualified children can safely get the care they qualify for.

Public charge is assessed only for people applying for an immigrant visa abroad, or applying for adjustment of status (a green card) inside the United States.

Many categories are exempt by law: refugees, asylees, VAWA self-petitioners, T and U visa applicants, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ), Cuban/Haitian entrants, and others.

Public charge is generally not assessed when a green-card holder renews their card or naturalizes; a returning green-card holder is assessed only in limited cases (for example, an absence of more than 180 days).

This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex — consult a licensed immigration attorney. We never tell you whether you "will" or "won't" be affected.

USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 7 (benefits considered) and Chapter 3 (who it applies to) — 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.21–212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. · 2022-12-23

Official sources

Income Limits for Medicaid and CHIP Programs / Who Qualifies for Coverage — Mississippi Division of Medicaid — Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid (no expansion-adult category); pregnant women ~194% FPL with 12 months postpartum; parents/caretakers ~22% FPL; children/CHIP up to 209% FPL; operated by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid
Mississippi Division of Medicaid (medicaid.ms.gov) · checked 2026-07-27 · This document states no effective date
Mississippi CHIP Fact Sheet — NASHP — Mississippi does NOT cover lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period (No); Mississippi does not provide coverage for pregnant women through CHIP; Mississippi does not operate the CHIP 'unborn child' coverage option
National Academy for State Health Policy (nashp.org) · checked 2026-07-27 · This document states no effective date

Last checked: 2026-07-27

Policies can change — always check the latest official information.

This site is informational only and is not immigration, legal, or tax advice. For public charge and your personal status questions, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Other benefits in Mississippi

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")

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