Medicaid in Texas: what you may be able to apply for
๐ Will this affect your green card?
Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test โ receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. See details โ
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).
Texas Medicaid (most enrollees receive care through STAR and other managed-care plans)
Who may qualify
Income limit
- Infants (under age 1)โค 198% FPLTexas Medicaid children's income limits step down by age; infants have the highest: under age 1 up to 198% FPL. The age bands correspond to Texas type-program codes (infants = TP 43). A child must be a Texas resident and a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen. Meeting the income limit is not automatic eligibility โ HHSC still determines it.
- Children ages 1-5โค 144% FPLChildren ages 1 through 5: up to 144% FPL (Texas type-program code TP 48).
- Children ages 6-18โค 133% FPLChildren ages 6 through 18: up to 133% FPL (Texas type-program code TP 44) โ this is the floor covering all children 0-18; younger children have higher limits (see the two tiers above).
- Pregnant women (Medicaid for Pregnant Women)โค 198% FPLMedicaid for Pregnant Women covers up to 198% FPL, with full maternity care (prenatal, delivery, postpartum). ๐ด But this program requires you to be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen โ a pregnant woman who does not meet that status should look at CHIP Perinatal (open regardless of immigration status; see the separate CHIP row).
- Parents / caretaker relatives (must care for a child on Medicaid)๐ด๐ This is one of the lowest adult Medicaid income limits in the entire country, and it is NOT set as a %FPL โ Texas sets it as a fixed dollar amount carried over from the old AFDC/TANF standard, far below the poverty line. HHSC's published monthly income limits (not a %FPL): One-Parent household โ 1 person $103; 2 $196; 3 $230; 4 $277. Two-Parent household โ 2 $161; 3 $251; 4 $285. Each additional person +$52. For example, a family of three (a single parent with two children) must have monthly income at or below $230 โ roughly one-tenth of the poverty line. Eligibility condition: you must be the parent or a related caretaker of a child who is ALREADY on Medicaid, the child must live with you and be age 17 or younger (or 18 and a full-time student). Because the limit is dollar-denominated and varies by household size, there is no single %FPL (any %FPL conversion would distort it), so this row carries no pctFPL โ use the dollar figures above.
Immigration-status rules in this state
๐ด๐ Texas has NOT adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion โ unlike California, New York, and many other states, and this is the single most important fact for immigrants to know. As a result, Texas Medicaid has no category for low-income adults in general; it covers only narrow groups: children, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives of a child on Medicaid (at an extremely low income limit, among the lowest in the nation), and people who are aged, blind, or have a disability. So a low-income adult in Texas who is not pregnant, is not raising a child on Medicaid, and is not aged/blind/disabled generally has NO Medicaid pathway at all โ this has nothing to do with immigration status; it is true for U.S. citizens too. For immigrants specifically: qualified non-citizens must still meet the federal rules (see the federal Medicaid program details, including the five-year bar and the 2025 OBBBA changes). Two doors stay open regardless of immigration status: (1) Emergency Medicaid, which pays for emergency care (including labor and delivery) for people who meet every other requirement but do not have a qualifying immigration status (this is a federal requirement in every state โ check details with HHSC); and (2) CHIP Perinatal, which covers prenatal care for the unborn child of a pregnant woman who does not qualify for Medicaid because of immigration status (see the separate CHIP row). Texas does not use state-only funds to cover undocumented adults or children the way California does โ we did not find any Texas state-funded Medicaid fill for immigrants excluded by the federal rules (reported honestly; not a claim that none can exist). This is a changing area โ verify with Texas HHSC and rely on the latest official guidance.
How to apply
What you'll need
Proof of identity, income, Texas residency, household size, and Social Security numbers for household members; immigration documents as applicable (only for the person applying for benefits; Emergency Medicaid and CHIP Perinatal have their own broader status rules). See the official application at yourtexasbenefits.com for the exact document list.
Timeline
Most Medicaid applications get an eligibility decision within about 45 days (up to 90 days for disability-based cases). Meeting the income limit is not automatic eligibility โ HHSC still determines it.
Go to the official application โYourTexasBenefits.com (official Texas HHSC online application) ยท or call 2-1-1 (2-1-1 Texas)
Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)
โ Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test โ receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application.
โ ๏ธ 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.
โ 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 โ 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) โ 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.21โ212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. ยท 2022-12-23
Last checked: 2026-07-16
Policies can change โ 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.
Medicaid in other states
Other benefits in Texas
See what your household may be able to apply for (Texas pre-filled ยท about 1 minute ยท runs locally, nothing uploaded)
Household Benefit Matcher
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