Medicaid in New Mexico: 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).

Turquoise Care (the managed-care brand of New Mexico Medicaid, replacing Centennial Care 2.0 from 2024; administered by the New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) Medical Assistance Division, with eligibility determined by Income Support Division (ISD) offices; 🌟 New Mexico is an ACA expansion state; apply at yes.state.nm.us)

Who may qualify

Income limit

Adults 19-64 (ACA expansion · Category 100)≤ 133% FPL🌟 Official pamphlet verbatim: Category 100 "Other Adult" covers people 19 up to 65 with no Medicare entitlement, with or without dependents, income below 133% FPL for the household size, and NO resource test; a pregnant person is not eligible under 100 and must be evaluated for Categories 300/301. The pamphlet's own FPL table: 133% is $1,735/month for one person and $2,954 for three. (The federal expansion line is often described as 138%; New Mexico's pamphlet states 133% — rely on HCA's current determination.)
Source:New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Category 100 - Other Adult-covers individuals age 19 up to 65, with or without dependents with no Medicare entitlement who meet non-financial and financial criteria. Not eligible for category 100 if pregnant; must evaluate for 300 or 301 categories. Income must be less than 133% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for the household size. There is no resource test for this category.”
New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
View the official document →
Pregnant people (Category 301 · Pregnancy Related Medicaid)≤ 250% FPLOfficial pamphlet verbatim: Category 301 covers a woman who self-attests that she is pregnant (no medical verification needed unless the pregnancy is questionable), must meet all non-financial and financial criteria with income less than 250% FPL for the household size, unborn children ARE included in the budget group (which raises your household size and so loosens the threshold), and there is no resource test. Category 300 "Full Pregnancy" also provides full Medicaid at a fixed dollar standard ($765/month for three). Pamphlet FPL table: 250% is $3,261/month for one and $5,553 for three. 🔴 Immigration point: lawfully residing pregnant women are exempt from the five-year bar (state rule, verbatim); an undocumented pregnant woman is not covered under 301 — only Category 085 emergency services.
Source:New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Category 301-Pregnancy Related Medicaid- covers a woman who self attests that she is pregnant. Individual must meet all non-financial and financial criteria and have income less than 250% of FPL for the household size. Un-born child(ren) will be included in budget group. There is no resource test for this category.”
New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
View the official document →
Children 0-5 (Categories 400/402)≤ 240% FPLOfficial pamphlet verbatim: Category 400 covers children under 6 with income less than 200% FPL; Category 402 covers children under 6 with income within 200%-240% FPL. Both allow the child to ALSO have private health insurance and have no resource test. Above 240% and up to 300%, CHIP Category 420 picks up (but the CHIP band requires no private insurance). Pamphlet FPL table: 240% is $3,130/month for one and $5,330 for three. 🌟 Immigration point: lawfully residing children under 21 are exempt from the five-year bar (state rule 8.200.410.11 NMAC, verbatim).
Source:New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Category 400 - Children's Medicaid covers children under 6 years of age. Must meet all non-financial and financial criteria and have income less than 200% FPL for the household size. Client may have private health insurance. There is no resource test for this category. ... Category 402- Children's Medicaid covers children under 6 years of age. ... have income within FPL 200%-240%.”
New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
View the official document →
Children 6-18 (Categories 401/403)≤ 190% FPLOfficial pamphlet verbatim: Category 401 covers children 6 through 18 with income less than 138% FPL; Category 403 covers children 6 through 18 with income within 138%-190% FPL; both allow private insurance and have no resource test. From 190% to 240%, CHIP Category 421 picks up (that band requires no private insurance). Pamphlet FPL table: 190% is $2,478/month for one and $4,220 for three.
Source:New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Category 401-Children's Medicaid covers children 6 thru eighteen (18) years of age. Must meet all non-financial and financial criteria and have income less than 138% FPL. ... Category 403-Children's Medicaid covers children 6 thru eighteen (18) years of age. ... have income within FPL 138%-190%.”
New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
View the official document →
Parents / caretaker relatives (Category 200 · fixed dollar standard)🔴 Category 200 uses a FIXED DOLLAR monthly income standard (not a %FPL — so this row deliberately carries no %FPL, which would distort it): $451 for one, $608 for two, $765 for three, $923 for four, $1,080 for five, $1,238 for six, $1,395 for seven, $1,553 for eight (the same table as Category 300), with no resource test. 🔴🔴 This very low figure does NOT mean parents in New Mexico have no pathway — precisely because New Mexico is an expansion state, a parent above that fixed standard can still apply under Category 100 at 133% FPL. Do not give up just because you saw $765.
Source:New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27
Official excerpt
“Category 200 - Parent/Caretaker-covers individuals with one or more dependent children. ... There is no resource test for this category. The income limit is a fixed dollar amount - the same as category 300. [Household Size / Monthly Income Limit] 1 $451; 2 $608; 3 $765; 4 $923; 5 $1,080; 6 $1,238; 7 $1,395; 8 $1,553”
New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
View the official document →

Immigration-status rules in this state

🌟 New Mexico IS an ACA expansion state (the opposite of Kansas/Mississippi): adults 19-64 with no Medicare entitlement can qualify on income below 133% of poverty (official pamphlet, "Category 100 - Other Adult", verbatim; no resource test), with no need to have minor children — there is NO coverage gap. Pregnant people go through Categories 300/301 (Category 301 runs up to 250% FPL, and unborn children are counted in the budget group); children 0-5 up to 240% and 6-18 up to 190% are covered by Medicaid, with higher bands picked up by CHIP (Categories 420/421). 🔴 Category 200 (parent/caretaker relative) uses a FIXED DOLLAR standard ($765/month for a household of three) — a very low figure, but do NOT read it as "parents have no pathway": a parent above that fixed standard can still apply under Category 100 at 133% FPL (this is exactly what separates an expansion state from a non-expansion one). 🌟🌟 Immigration status (New Mexico is clearly broader than most states — grounded verbatim): state rule 8.200.410.11 NMAC B(3) reads: "Children under age 21 and pregnant women exempt from the five year bar: As authorized by CHIPRA 2009 legislation, New Mexico medicaid allows lawfully residing children under age 21 and pregnant women, if otherwise eligible including meeting state residency and income requirements, to obtain medicaid coverage." That is: lawfully residing children UNDER 21 and pregnant women are exempt from the five-year bar (note "under 21", broader than the usual "under 19"), and the rule defines "lawfully present" broadly (qualified non-citizens, non-immigrant status not in violation, parole under one year, TPS, and more). Other qualified immigrants who entered on or after Aug 22, 1996 generally still face the five-year bar and its exceptions (refugees, asylees, withholding of deportation, veterans/active-duty families are exempt). 🔴 Undocumented people, or those who do not meet the immigration criteria: only Category 085, "Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens (EMSNC)", which the state describes verbatim as coverage "of emergency services for certain non-citizens who are undocumented or who do not meet the qualifying immigration criteria and meet all eligibility criteria for an existing Medicaid category except for their non-citizen status", and "Coverage is available only for emergencies approved by the UR contractor and only for the duration of the specific emergency" — emergencies only, with a provider referral to the local ISD office; it is not ordinary health coverage and does not cover routine prenatal care. 🔴 We did NOT find a CHIP "unborn child"/FCEP prenatal category in the January 2026 official eligibility pamphlet, and NASHP's New Mexico CHIP fact sheet states the state does not cover pregnant women through CHIP — so do NOT assume an undocumented pregnant person's prenatal care is paid by Medicaid/CHIP (use a community health center/FQHC or sliding-scale clinic, and ask HCA directly whether a new pathway exists now). 🌟 One genuinely good thing: the official pamphlet states that babies born to a mother who has New Mexico Medicaid at the time of birth — and EMSNC counts as receipt of Medicaid for the mother — are eligible for 12 months starting with the month of birth, as long as the infant continues to reside in New Mexico. 🔴 A changing area: federal H.R. 1 narrowed Medicaid eligibility for some lawfully present immigrants, and New Mexico's 2026 state budget (HB 2) includes $40 million in state funds "to provide health coverage for lawfully present immigrant Medicaid enrollees" (Georgetown CCF, verbatim). How that state money reaches an individual depends on HCA's current guidance — we cannot tell you whether YOU are affected or whether it will catch you. 🔴🔴 Public charge: Medicaid is CONDITIONAL — routine Medicaid does NOT count in the current (Dec 23, 2022) public charge test; government-funded LONG-TERM institutional care can be considered; minors, pregnancy/postpartum, and Emergency Medicaid generally do not count. Cases differ — consult an immigration attorney and verify with HCA/ISD.

How to apply

What you'll need

Proof of identity, New Mexico residency, household income, and the immigration documents HCA/ISD accepts. Apply online through YesNM (yes.state.nm.us), or call 1-800-283-4465 or visit a local ISD office; the Medical Assistance Division line is 505-827-1337. 🔴 A pregnant person may self-attest to the pregnancy (no medical verification first unless it is questionable); 🔴 for Category 085 emergency services, the provider must refer you to the local ISD office.

Timeline

You can apply year-round. Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility (non-financial criteria such as residency and status also apply). Once approved it covers current care; Category 085 emergency services cover only the approved emergency and only for its duration. 🌟 A baby born to a mother who had Medicaid (including EMSNC) at the time of birth is eligible for 12 months starting with the month of birth, as long as the infant keeps residing in New Mexico.

Go to the official application →

YesNM online application · New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) / Turquoise Care · 1-800-283-4465 · 🌟 ACA 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

New Mexico Medical Assistance Programs — Eligibility Categories (Updated January 2026) — Category 100 Other Adult 0%-133% FPL, no resource test; Category 200 Parent/Caretaker and Category 300 Full Pregnancy fixed dollar standard (3-person $765); Category 301 Pregnancy Related up to 250% FPL with unborn children in the budget group; Categories 400/402 children 0-5 to 240%; 401/403 children 6-18 to 190%; CHIP Categories 420 (0-5, 240%-300%) and 421 (6-18, 190%-240%); Category 085 Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens
New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA), Medical Assistance Division · checked 2026-07-27 · Document effective 2026-01-01
8.200.410 NMAC — General Recipient Requirements (citizenship / non-citizen eligibility) — 8.200.410.11 NMAC B(3): lawfully residing children under age 21 and pregnant women exempt from the five-year bar under CHIPRA 2009; qualified non-citizens entering on or after Aug 22, 1996 barred five years other than emergency services under Category 085
New Mexico Health Care Authority (state regulation, NMAC Title 8 Chapter 200) · checked 2026-07-27 · This document states no effective date
New Mexico CHIP Fact Sheet — NASHP — New Mexico covers lawfully residing children without a five-year waiting period (Yes); New Mexico does not provide coverage for pregnant women through CHIP; New Mexico operates a Medicaid expansion CHIP program
National Academy for State Health Policy (nashp.org) · checked 2026-07-27 · This document states no effective date
How are H.R. 1 Cuts and Changes to Medicaid and SNAP Playing out in 2026 State Legislative Sessions So Far? — Georgetown CCF — "New Mexico's HB 2 (their state budget) includes $40 million in state funds to provide health coverage for lawfully present immigrant Medicaid enrollees"
Georgetown University Center for Children and Families · checked 2026-07-27 · Document effective 2026-03-16

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.

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