Medicaid in New Hampshire: what you may be able to apply for
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).
NH Medicaid / Medical Assistance; adults 19-64 = Granite Advantage Health Care Program; children = Children's Medicaid
Final eligibility is decided by the agency
Policies can change — always check the latest official information.
🔎 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. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified. See details →
Who may qualify
Income limit
- Adults 19-64 (Granite Advantage) - net income (MAGI)≤ 133% FPLThis 133% line is a net income line - and "net" here means MAGI net (the tax-return measure), not the SNAP kind of net that only a caseworker can compute from a whole set of deductions: it is roughly the AGI on your tax return with a few adjustments, and you can look it up yourself. Verbatim (MAM 230.01, SR 23-42): "net income must be less than or equal to 133% of the FPL". And if you are just over 133%, there is one more verbatim rule: "Apply the 5% MAGI-specific income deduction for those individuals who otherwise meet the Granite Advantage program requirements but fail the 133% income limit test" - people who meet every other requirement and fail only the income test get a further 5-percentage-point deduction before the final decision. So if your income is near the line, do not rule yourself out - file and let the caseworker run the numbers.
Source:New Hampshire DHHS, Medical Assistance Manual (MAM) · checked 2026-08-08
Official excerpt
“net income must be less than or equal to 133% of the FPL. See PART 601, Table G”
230.01 Granite Advantage Eligibility Criteria (MAM), SR 23-42 Dated 10/23 - carries the adult tier verbatim: medical assistance for low-income NH residents who are "US citizens or qualified aliens"; "the applicant must be at least age 19 but no older than age 64"; net income <= 133% FPL with the "5% MAGI-specific income deduction"; "if female, she cannot be pregnant at the time of application" (becoming pregnant after enrollment does not automatically remove you); over-income applicants "referred to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM)". · SR 23-42
View the official document → (Opens in a new tab) - Children under 19 (Children's Medicaid) - net income (MAGI)≤ 196% FPLVerbatim (the state's nh-medicaid-medical page): "Children's Medicaid (CM): provides health and dental coverage for children under age 19 with net income no higher than 196% of the federal poverty levels (FPL)." - children under 19 with MAGI net income (which you can look up yourself) at or below 196% FPL, and the coverage includes health and dental. And if the household income is above 196%, do not stop here: New Hampshire also has Expanded Children's Medicaid (higher than 196% up to 318% FPL - the state's CHIP tier); see this state's CHIP entry.
Source:New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) · checked 2026-08-08
Official excerpt
“Children's Medicaid (CM): provides health and dental coverage for children under age 19 with net income no higher than 196% of the federal poverty levels (FPL).”
NH Medicaid (Medical Assistance) Eligibility for Children | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
View the official document → (Opens in a new tab)
Immigration-status rules in this state
First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: the main body of Medicaid's immigration rules sits at the federal level, and this row does not repeat it - use the single federal guidance on this page; see the “Federal rules” section on this page for the federal framework. Here we write only what New Hampshire itself has written down. For the adult tier, the state's MAM policy manual 230.01 (SR 23-42) says, verbatim: "The Granite Advantage Health Care Program (Granite Advantage) offers medical assistance to low-income NH residents who are US citizens or qualified aliens." And the state DHHS eligibility page lists the covered groups, and that list explicitly includes "refugees" and "non-citizens" - the state's own page says Medicaid is not citizens-only. Two more Granite Advantage rules to know on their own: first, verbatim, "the applicant must be at least age 19 but no older than age 64"; second, verbatim, "if female, she cannot be pregnant at the time of application" - you cannot be pregnant at the moment you apply; and according to the same page, becoming pregnant after you are enrolled does not automatically remove you. And keep the this-door-closes-but-that-one-opens sentence: if you are found over income for Granite Advantage, the manual says, verbatim, "If an individual is determined ineligible for Granite Advantage due to being over income, he or she is referred to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM)" - you are referred to the federal Marketplace for subsidized insurance; it is not the end of the road. If you are not sure which category your status falls under, call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447) and ask for the answer in writing.
How to apply
What you'll need
Read this first - it may save you a whole round of applying: if you are already receiving OAA (Old Age Assistance) or APTD (Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled) state cash assistance, you already have medical coverage. The OAA page says, verbatim: "Individuals eligible for this State Supplemental Program (SSP) are also automatically eligible for Medicaid." The APTD page says, verbatim: "If you are eligible for cash assistance, you are also eligible for medical assistance." So: already on OAA/APTD means you do not need to apply for Medicaid separately - you already have it. And the arrow does not run backwards: having Medicaid does not automatically give you OAA or APTD. Ways to apply: - Online at NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov) - DHHS Customer Service Center 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447) Not found: an item-by-item document list for a New Hampshire Medicaid application - we did not source one and will not draft one for the state; rely on the official application page, or ask on the phone and get the answer in writing.
Timeline
Under the federal Medicaid framework, coverage can be retroactive for up to 3 months before the application month - that is the federal-level rule that runs across most states; how New Hampshire applies retroactive coverage in detail (which groups, any waiver adjustments) is something we did not source - ask DHHS when you file and get the answer in writing. Not found: New Hampshire's statutory processing deadline for Medicaid and its current actual processing time - the official pages we sourced do not publish them, and we do not borrow another state's numbers; ask at the same number, 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447).
Go to the official application → (Opens in a new tab)New Hampshire Medicaid: NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov, apply online) - DHHS Customer Service Center 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447)
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. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified.
⚠️ 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.
The statute itself names the moments at which this is assessed. INA § 212(a)(4)(A) (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(4)(A)) reads that an alien is inadmissible who, "in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge." ⇒ Three occasions are named: applying for a visa, applying for admission, and applying for adjustment of status. Two things are commonly read too narrowly, and both errors point the same way — toward "this does not concern me": the statute says "a visa" and does not limit that to immigrant visas; and "application for admission" is its own separate occasion. We do not tell you whether your own situation is one of these — that depends on your case; consult a licensed immigration attorney.
The exemptions are not "a few categories" — the regulation lists twenty-nine of them. 8 CFR 212.23(a) opens: "The public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Act does not apply … to the following categories of aliens," and then runs (1) through (29). Among those most relevant to readers of this site: refugees (1); asylees (2); Cuban and Haitian entrants (5); Cuban Adjustment Act applicants (6); NACARA (7); Special Immigrant Juveniles (10); Temporary Protected Status (12); T nonimmigrants (17) and (18); U nonimmigrants (19); VAWA self-petitioners (20); battered spouses and children who are qualified aliens under PRWORA § 431(c) (21); Afghan and Iraqi interpreters (4); nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (25). Category (29) has to be read along with the rest, and it is the one most easily missed: "Any other categories of aliens exempt under any other law from the public charge ground of inadmissibility provisions under section 212(a)(4) of the Act." ⇒ "I am not in the categories listed above" does not mean "I am not exempt." The full list of 29 is at 8 CFR 212.23(a). That regulation is scheduled for removal on September 18, 2026 (91 FR 45477); on that date this whole block closes rather than continuing to show old text — but the statutory exemptions themselves come from their own laws and do not disappear with it. Whether your case falls within one is a question for a licensed immigration attorney. These exemptions do not disappear with that list: in the rescission rule of July 20, 2026 DHS says so itself — "Although DHS is removing the regulation listing exemptions, the statutory exemptions created by Congress for certain Cuban and Haitian applicants for adjustment of status continue to exist." Note the scope of that sentence: it is DHS responding to a comment about Cuban and Haitian applicants, and it covers only those two groups. Each of the 29 categories rests on its own statute, which the regulation merely collected in one place - and that is why the list does not vanish with the regulation.
Renewing a green card and naturalizing are generally not occasions for a public charge assessment. For a green-card holder returning from a trip abroad, the statute writes out an exhaustive list of when they are treated as seeking admission at all. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(13)(C): a lawful permanent resident "shall not be regarded as seeking an admission … unless the alien—" falls within one of six situations: (i) has abandoned or relinquished that status; (ii) has been absent for a continuous period in excess of 180 days; (iii) has engaged in illegal activity after departing; (iv) departed while under legal process seeking removal, including removal or extradition proceedings; (v) has committed an offense identified in 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2), unless relief has since been granted under § 1182(h) or § 1229b(a); or (vi) is attempting to enter at a time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or has not been admitted after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer. Those six are the whole of what the statute gives — the widely quoted "180 days" is only item (ii), not the only one. Whether your own situation falls within any of them is a question for a licensed immigration attorney; this site does not judge individual cases.
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
Source:U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (uscis.gov) · checked 2026-07-16
Official excerpt
“Long-term institutionalization at government expense is the only category of Medicaid-funded services (limited to institutional services provided under section 1905(a) of the Social Security Act) considered in a public charge inadmissibility determination.”
Chapter 7 - Consideration of Current and/or Past Receipt of Public Cash Assistance for Income Maintenance or Long-term Institutionalization at Government Expense | USCIS · 8 USCIS-PM G.7
View the official document → (Opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
What is 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).
Who can apply for Medicaid in New Hampshire?
Generally, Adults 19-64 (Granite Advantage) - net income (MAGI): ≤ 133% FPL; Children under 19 (Children's Medicaid) - net income (MAGI): ≤ 196% FPL. The agency makes the final determination.
Can non-citizens or people without immigration status get Medicaid?
First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: the main body of Medicaid's immigration rules sits at the federal level, and this row does not repeat it - use the single federal guidance on this page; see the “Federal rules” section on this page for the federal framework. Here we write only what New Hampshire itself has written down. For the adult tier, the state's MAM policy manual 230.01 (SR 23-42) says, verbatim: "The Granite Advantage Health Care Program (Granite Advantage) offers medical assistance to low-income NH residents who are US citizens or qualified aliens." And the state DHHS eligibility page lists the covered groups, and that list explicitly includes "refugees" and "non-citizens" - the state's own page says Medicaid is not citizens-only. Two more Granite Advantage rules to know on their own: first, verbatim, "the applicant must be at least age 19 but no older than age 64"; second, verbatim, "if female, she cannot be pregnant at the time of application" - you cannot be pregnant at the moment you apply; and according to the same page, becoming pregnant after you are enrolled does not automatically remove you. And keep the this-door-closes-but-that-one-opens sentence: if you are found over income for Granite Advantage, the manual says, verbatim, "If an individual is determined ineligible for Granite Advantage due to being over income, he or she is referred to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM)" - you are referred to the federal Marketplace for subsidized insurance; it is not the end of the road. If you are not sure which category your status falls under, call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447) and ask for the answer in writing. Federal Medicaid generally requires a "qualified" immigration status, and most people must wait five years after getting that status (the "five-year bar") before applying. Refugees, asylees, and certain others are exempt from the five-year wait; emergency Medicaid is available regardless of status. Some states (such as California) use state funds to cover more people — see your state's details. The 2025 federal law OBBBA (H.R.1, Public Law 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025) significantly narrows eligibility: effective Oct 1, 2026 (Section 71109), federal Medicaid/CHIP funding is limited to four groups — U.S. citizens/nationals, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), Cuban/Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants (Micronesia/Marshall Islands/Palau). Refugees, asylees, trafficking victims, parolees, and other "qualified aliens" who are not yet LPRs lose federal eligibility (refugees/asylees can generally regain it after becoming LPRs). Emergency Medicaid remains available regardless of status (though Section 71110 lowers its federal match to the regular FMAP effective Oct 1, 2026 — this does not change its availability); the state options for lawfully-residing children and pregnant women are preserved. Section 71119 adds community-engagement (work) requirements for ACA-expansion adults (19-64) effective Dec 31, 2026 (or sooner at state option) — at least 80 hours/month, with exemptions for pregnant/postpartum people, the medically frail, caretakers of a child under 14, and others. This is a changing area — check the latest official guidance. The agency makes the final determination.
Does getting Medicaid affect my green card?
Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified. 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. The exemptions are not "a few categories" — the regulation lists twenty-nine of them. 8 CFR 212.23(a) opens: "The public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Act does not apply … to the following categories of aliens," and then runs (1) through (29). Among those most relevant to readers of this site: refugees (1); asylees (2); Cuban and Haitian entrants (5); Cuban Adjustment Act applicants (6); NACARA (7); Special Immigrant Juveniles (10); Temporary Protected Status (12); T nonimmigrants (17) and (18); U nonimmigrants (19); VAWA self-petitioners (20); battered spouses and children who are qualified aliens under PRWORA § 431(c) (21); Afghan and Iraqi interpreters (4); nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (25). Category (29) has to be read along with the rest, and it is the one most easily missed: "Any other categories of aliens exempt under any other law from the public charge ground of inadmissibility provisions under section 212(a)(4) of the Act." ⇒ "I am not in the categories listed above" does not mean "I am not exempt." The full list of 29 is at 8 CFR 212.23(a). That regulation is scheduled for removal on September 18, 2026 (91 FR 45477); on that date this whole block closes rather than continuing to show old text — but the statutory exemptions themselves come from their own laws and do not disappear with it. Whether your case falls within one is a question for a licensed immigration attorney. These exemptions do not disappear with that list: in the rescission rule of July 20, 2026 DHS says so itself — "Although DHS is removing the regulation listing exemptions, the statutory exemptions created by Congress for certain Cuban and Haitian applicants for adjustment of status continue to exist." Note the scope of that sentence: it is DHS responding to a comment about Cuban and Haitian applicants, and it covers only those two groups. Each of the 29 categories rests on its own statute, which the regulation merely collected in one place - and that is why the list does not vanish with the regulation. 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.
How do I apply for Medicaid in New Hampshire?
Read this first - it may save you a whole round of applying: if you are already receiving OAA (Old Age Assistance) or APTD (Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled) state cash assistance, you already have medical coverage. The OAA page says, verbatim: "Individuals eligible for this State Supplemental Program (SSP) are also automatically eligible for Medicaid." The APTD page says, verbatim: "If you are eligible for cash assistance, you are also eligible for medical assistance." So: already on OAA/APTD means you do not need to apply for Medicaid separately - you already have it. And the arrow does not run backwards: having Medicaid does not automatically give you OAA or APTD. Ways to apply: - Online at NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov) - DHHS Customer Service Center 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447) Not found: an item-by-item document list for a New Hampshire Medicaid application - we did not source one and will not draft one for the state; rely on the official application page, or ask on the phone and get the answer in writing. Under the federal Medicaid framework, coverage can be retroactive for up to 3 months before the application month - that is the federal-level rule that runs across most states; how New Hampshire applies retroactive coverage in detail (which groups, any waiver adjustments) is something we did not source - ask DHHS when you file and get the answer in writing. Not found: New Hampshire's statutory processing deadline for Medicaid and its current actual processing time - the official pages we sourced do not publish them, and we do not borrow another state's numbers; ask at the same number, 1-844-ASK-DHHS (275-3447). Policies can change — always check the latest official information. https://nheasy.nh.gov/
Official sources
- 230.01 Granite Advantage Eligibility Criteria (MAM), SR 23-42 Dated 10/23 - carries the adult tier verbatim: medical assistance for low-income NH residents who are "US citizens or qualified aliens"; "the applicant must be at least age 19 but no older than age 64"; net income <= 133% FPL with the "5% MAGI-specific income deduction"; "if female, she cannot be pregnant at the time of application" (becoming pregnant after enrollment does not automatically remove you); over-income applicants "referred to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM)". (Opens in a new tab)
New Hampshire DHHS, Medical Assistance Manual (MAM) · SR 23-42 · checked 2026-08-08 · Document effective 2023-10-01
- NH Medicaid (Medical Assistance) Eligibility - NH DHHS. Carries the covered-groups list, which explicitly includes "refugees" and "non-citizens" as listed items. (Opens in a new tab)
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) · checked 2026-08-08 · This document states no effective date
- NH Medicaid (Medical Assistance) Eligibility for Children | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (Opens in a new tab)
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) · checked 2026-08-24 · This document states no effective date
- Old Age Assistance | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (Opens in a new tab)
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) · checked 2026-08-24 · This document states no effective date
- Aid to the Permanently & Totally Disabled | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (Opens in a new tab)
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) · checked 2026-08-24 · This document states no effective date
Last checked: 2026-08-08
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.