Mississippi provides health coverage through Medicaid programs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Individuals who may qualify are:
- Infants and children up to age 19
- Low-income parents/caretakers of children under age 18
- Pregnant women
The following groups of people qualify for full Mississippi Medicaid health benefits under the appropriate income limits and other qualifications.
Infants and Children
Who is Eligible?
Infants and children up to age 19 (0-18). Infants born from a Medicaid eligible mother automatically receive benefits for one subsequent year.
Income Limits
Qualifications are based on age, income and family size; refer to the MAGI income limit table below.
CHIP
Who is Eligible?
CHIP provides health coverage for uninsured children up to age 19 years old. To be eligible for CHIP, a child cannot be eligible for Medicaid. At the time of application, children with health insurance are not eligible for CHIP.
It is possible that one child in a family may qualify for Medicaid while another may qualify for CHIP. Eligibility is based on family household income, the age of each child and the insured status of each child.
Income Limits
The family income cannot exceed 209% of the federal poverty level (FPL); refer to the MAGI income limit table below.
- Infants from birth to age 1 may qualify for CHIP if family income is between 194% – 209% FPL.
- Children age 1-6 may qualify for CHIP if family income is between 143% – 209% FPL.
- Children age 6-19 may qualify for CHIP if family income is between 133% – 209% FPL.
Parents/Caretakers of Minor Children
Who is Eligible?
Parents or caretakers must have children under age 18 living in the home, who are deprived of the support of one or both parents due to the disability of a parent, the death or continued absence of a parent or have parent(s) who are unemployed or have very low income. Caretaker relatives must be within a certain degree of relationship to the children and have primary responsibility for children under age 18 in order to qualify. As a condition of eligibility, the adult must cooperate with child support enforcement requirements for each child deprived due to a parent’s continued absence from the home.
Income Limits
Qualifications are not based on the federal poverty level (FPL); refer to the MAGI income limit table below.
Pregnant Women
Who is Eligible?
Pregnant women receive benefits twelve months postpartum.
Any child born to Medicaid eligible mother automatically receive benefits for one subsequent year. The number of individuals within the family is increased by the number of babies expected when determining family size.
Income Limits
Qualifications are based on 194% of the FPL and family size; refer to the MAGI income limit table below. Pregnant women can be of any age and pregnant minors (those under the age of 19) can qualify regardless of family income.
Income Limits for Medicaid and CHIP Programs
Effective March 1, 2014, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules for Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) are used to determine a household’s income compared to the limits shown below based on household size. No deductions other than those allowed by IRS rules are used, other than a 5% disregard based on the federal poverty level (FPL) that is applied when needed to allow eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP.
