Immigration Status and Eligibility for NC Medicaid

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) wants to keep your information private. We will keep checking new rules and how they affect North Carolina. We will continue to update this information with the latest news.

Your information with NC Medicaid is private. NC Medicaid has not been asked to give any data to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). However, all states must share Medicaid data with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is the group that runs Medicaid for the whole country. CMS shares this data with other federal groups because of federal laws.

HealthCare.gov is a federal website. Information you give there might be shared with other federal groups.

What does NC Medicaid at NCDHHS know?

NC Medicaid knows that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) might get data on people enrolled in Medicaid, like home addresses and ethnicities.
NC Medicaid uses immigration and citizenship information to check if members can get Medicaid and to follow state and federal rules.
NC Medicaid must share information about people enrolled in Medicaid with the federal government.
NC Medicaid does not share information about people who are not enrolled in Medicaid with the federal government, including information about parents/guardians of Medicaid members who do not themselves receive Medicaid coverage.
NC Medicaid cannot ensure that the federal government has not shared personal information with immigration authorities or will not share it in the future.
If you have questions about immigration activities or enforcement, please talk to an immigration expert.

You may be able to get full health coverage through NC Medicaid or emergency Medicaid.

Anyone can apply for emergency Medicaid.

Non-U.S. citizens can get full health coverage through NC Medicaid

To get full health care coverage through Medicaid in North Carolina if you are not a U.S. citizen, you must:

Live in North Carolina,
Meet the regular rules for Medicaid like age and income, and
Have a qualified immigration status or a special exception (listed below). Some people must wait 5 years from when they get their qualified immigration status.

You can apply for full NC Medicaid now, without waiting 5 years, if you have one of these qualified immigration statuses:

You have been given asylum by the U.S. government
You were granted refugee status by the U.S. government
Certain "Green Card" holders (Lawful Permanent Residents)
A victim of trafficking or a family member of a victim of trafficking
A Cuban-Haitian entrant
Paroled into the U.S. for at least one year from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Cuba or Haiti
A qualified non-citizen connected to veterans or active-duty military (including their spouses and children)

You can also apply for full NC Medicaid now with one of these special exceptions:

A child under age 19 with any kind of lawful immigration status, except for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). You can apply for them, even if you or others in your family are not eligible.
You are pregnant with any kind of lawful immigration status, except DACA.

You can apply for full NC Medicaid 5 years after getting one of these immigration statuses:

A "Green Card" holder (Lawful Permanent Residents)
Paroled into the U.S. for at least one year (except from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Cuba or Haiti — they do not have to wait 5 years)
A conditional entrant granted before 1980
A battered non-citizen (someone who has experienced abuse from a family member) or their spouse, child or parent who has received status through the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) program
Granted withholding of deportation (similar to asylum)
A non-citizen member of a federally recognized Indian tribe
An American Indian born in Canada
A citizen of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia or Palau who is living in the U.S. (also called Compact of Free Association or COFA, migrants)

This is not a complete guide. If your situation is not listed here, or if you are not sure, contact your local Department of Social Services (DSS). The immigration information you give is shared with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS shares this data with other federal government agencies based on federal laws and regulations.

Emergency Medicaid

If you cannot get full health coverage through NC Medicaid and are not a U.S. citizen, you may be able to get Emergency Medicaid. Anyone can apply for Emergency Medicaid, no matter their immigration status. They only need to meet the regular Medicaid rules, like age and income requirements.

Emergency Medicaid covers:

Medical costs during childbirth, including labor and delivery. You can apply up to three months after birth.
Medical costs for emergencies, like a heart attack, stroke or serious accident. You can apply up to three months after the emergency.

To get Emergency Medicaid, fill out an application. You do not need to answer any questions about your immigration status or show immigration documents.

What information is shared from NC Medicaid?

Some people might worry about new rules asking for immigration information. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and HealthCare.gov are federal websites. Information you give them can be shared with other federal groups.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is watching these changes closely. They want to keep everyone in North Carolina healthy and safe. It's important for everyone to feel safe when they need care.

You only need to give immigration information or Social Security numbers for family members who need coverage. For example, if a parent can't get coverage, they can still apply for their child [Hyperlink to "how to apply for a family member"]. The parent doesn't need to give their own immigration status.

What data is being shared with the federal government?

Based on the federal requirement, the following information may be shared with federal agencies:

Name
Address
Assigned Medicaid identification number
Social Security number
Date of birth
Sex
Phone number
Locality
Ethnicity

You are not considered a “public charge” if you apply for or have Medicaid.

At the moment, applying for NC Medicaid or having Medicaid will not hurt your chances of getting a Green Card (Lawful Permanent Resident Status) unless you use Medicaid for a long stay in the hospital or nursing home. Read this flyer from the NC Justice Center to learn more. This section will be updated if the rules change.

How to apply for family members

You can apply for anyone in your family or household to get Medicaid, even if you cannot get it yourself. Undocumented parents or guardians can apply for their children to get Medicaid.
To apply for your child or other family member, you will need:

The names of everyone in your household
Your mailing address (if you do not have one, we can provide one)
Proof of any income
Proof that you live in North Carolina
A complete and signed Medicaid application

You do not need to give your own immigration information or a social security number, unless you are also applying for Medicaid for yourself.

If asked: "What if I disenroll to protect myself or my family? Can you delete my information?"

NC Medicaid is required to share historical information on members with the federal government. NC Medicaid cannot remove historical information in our system.

If you choose to disenroll from NC Medicaid, the federal government will still have access to historical information in our system. However, you would not be required to update your information with NC Medicaid and ePASS moving forward.

Options if you cannot get NC Medicaid

If you cannot get full health care coverage through Medicaid because you are not a U.S. citizen, you might qualify for other health care coverage.

The Health Care Marketplace (ACA) offers health coverage or help paying for insurance for people with:

Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
A H-2A visa
Other Non-immigrant visas (such a student visa, work visa, or fiancé visa)
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Lawful permanent residents who haven’t yet had their green card for five years
Any kind of lawful status in the United States

If you are not eligible for Medicaid, you can apply to buy coverage through the Health Care Marketplace (ACA). Eligible immigrants can apply as soon as they receive lawful status.

Other options:

Federally Qualified Health Centers may offer services at a lower cost for people without insurance, regardless of immigration status. Find a center near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
Local departments of social services (DSS) can help connect you with health services and clinics. Find the DSS near you at ncdhhs.gov/localDSS.

This page was last modified on 07/31/2025