To be eligible for MassHealth, you must live in Massachusetts, have low to medium income, and meet certain general eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements differ depending on your age, family situation, work history, immigration status, and health care needs.

To be eligible for one of the coverages offered by MassHealth, you must be in one of these categories:

a family living with children under the age of 19 years
a pregnant woman with or without children
a Dept. of Mental Health client who has been out of work for a long time
a disabled person
an adult who is working for a qualified employer
a person who is HIV positive
a child under the age of 19 years
an adult caretaker relative living with children under 19 years of age when neither parent is living in the home
elderly (65 or older)
a woman with breast or cervical cancer
a person in need of long-term care
a young adult under age 21 who was in the care and custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF/DSS) on his/her 18th birthday

AND

You must be a Massachusetts resident.

AND

In most cases, you must meet financial eligibility requirements. See Financial Eligibility.

Some people are automatically eligible for MassHealth:

people receiving TAFDC, SSI, or EAEDC
children eligible for foster care payments or adoption assistance
young adults under age 21 who were in DCF (DSS) care on their 18th birthday
refugees eligible for resettlement assistance
certain former recipients of SSI

How long do I have to live in Massachusetts to become a resident?

You do not have to live in Massachusetts for any specific length of time to become a resident. You must live here now and plan to continue living here. You can leave Massachusetts for a period of time and still be considered a resident.

Can noncitizens get MassHealth?

If you are not a U.S. citizen, but you meet the other eligibility requirements for MassHealth, you can get MassHealth benefits. Some noncitizens are allowed to get any coverage type, while others are only allowed to get certain coverage types.

MassHealth defines four categories of noncitizens:

qualified
protected
special status
nonqualified

Qualified and protected status noncitizens:	Qualified and protected status noncitizens are allowed to get any type of MassHealth coverage for which they qualify, including MassHealth Standard. Eligible categories include:
	Children under 19 and pregnant women who are: Legal permanent residents (LPRs) Parolees, paroled into the U.S. for at least one year Conditional entrants
	Adults who are: Legal permanent residents (LPRs) Parolees, paroled into the U.S. for at least one year Conditional entrants AND also meet one of these conditions: entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996 and have lived here continuously since then entered the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996 and five years have passed since attaining current immigration status attained current immigration status before August 22, 1996
	Noncitizens who are: Asylees Refugees Noncitizens with deportation withheld Veterans and active duty personnel, including certain Filipino WWII veterans and certain Hmong and Highland Lao veterans from the Vietnam War (and certain family members) Certain battered noncitizens Cuban/Haitian entrants Native Americans born in Canada Amerasian entrants Victims of severe forms of trafficking Noncitizens with protected status because they were receiving Medical Assistance or CommonHealth on June 30, 1997.
	Note: Noncitizens ages 18-64 who do not meet the eligibility requirements for MassHealth but qualify for the Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program can get MassHealth Standard for eight months from the time they enter the U.S.
Special status noncitizens: (PRUCOL, and certain LPRs, parolees, and conditional entrants who do not meet date of entry or length of stay requirements)	Special status noncitizenscannot get MassHealth Standard or Basic, but under certain conditions, may qualify for: MassHealth CommonHealth or Family Assistance, if they are under 19 years old MassHealth Essential, if they are long-term unemployed, aged 19 through 64, and disabled MassHealth Essential, if they are 65 or older and meet the eligibility requirements for Standard except for immigration status.
Nonqualified noncitizens: (including undocumented noncitizens)	Nonqualified noncitizens who would qualify for MassHealth Standard except for their immigration status can get MassHealth Limited. MassHealth Limited covers emergency medical expenses only.

You must show proof of your immigration status within 60 days to qualify for all MassHealth coverage types except Limited. You must meet all other eligibility requirements for the coverage type. Your MassHealth advisor will explain the noncitizen eligibility rules to you.

Undocumented noncitizens can apply for MassHealth Limited without fear of deportation. MassHealth will not report your immigration status to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Will getting MassHealth affect my immigration status?

In general, your immigration status and ability to become a citizen will not be affected if you get MassHealth. The only exception is if you need long-term care in an institution.

In certain limited cases, noncitizens who use MassHealth to pay for long-term care in an institution may be considered a public charge. Legal permanent residents, refugees, asylees, and certain other categories of noncitizens are not subject to public charge rulings.

Can I get MassHealth if I already have insurance?

Yes, you can get MassHealth if you already have insurance. For example, you can have Medicare or health insurance through your employer, and still get MassHealth. If your health insurance meets the MassHealth standards for insurance coverage, MassHealth will pay all or part of your health insurance premium.

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