When Can Non-Citizens Get Medicaid?

I found eye-opening information on the NC DHHS website published in response to the federal government tightening when non-citizens can get Medicaid.

Some conclusions? Non-citizens are incentivized to have lots of kids to keep their Medicaid (and those kids of course will be anchor babies. Anchor babies themselves can get Medicaid.)

Special categories are protected including certain Haitians and those granted asylum or refugee status. That represents many who poured through open borders in the past.

And if illegals have medical emergencies, we have to pay for it.

The details from the site are found below. It is pretty infuriating:

Which Non-citizens Can Get NC Medicaid

Starting October 1, 2026

To get Medicaid if you are not a U.S. citizen, you must meet the regular Medicaid rules, such as age and income, and have one of these qualifying immigration statuses:

• You have a green card. This is also called being a lawful permanent resident. Most people with a green card also have to wait 5 years. Read the next section.
• You are a child under age 19 who is lawfully residing in the United States but does not have permanent immigration status.
• You are pregnant, or you gave birth in the last 12 months, and you are lawfully residing in the United States but do not have permanent immigration status.
• You have Cuban or Haitian entrant status.
• You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Palau, living in the United States. This is called being a COFA migrant.

If your situation is not listed here, you might lose your Medicaid starting October 1, 2026. If you are not sure, contact your local Department of Social Services (DSS).

Green Card Holders

Most lawful permanent residents (green card holders) must wait 5 years in the United States before they can become eligible for Medicaid.

There are exceptions to this 5-year wait. They include, but are not limited to, lawful permanent residents who:

• Have 40 qualifying work quarters, or
• Are a veteran or active-duty armed forces service member, or
• Were admitted under an exempt status, such as Refugee, Asylee or other humanitarian status

Emergency Medicaid

Some non-citizens may still be able to get Emergency Medicaid, which can help pay for emergency care you get in a hospital emergency department.

Emergency Medicaid is not standard health coverage. It is a limited program used to cover the cost of emergency care they are legally required to provide under federal law, regardless of a patient’s immigration status. It only applies to true medical emergencies and only if the individual meets income and other rules.

No immigration documentation is required for Emergency Medicaid, as the care must be provided under federal emergency treatment laws.