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Medicaid: Health Care Coverage for Noncitizens

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may be able to get health insurance coverage through BadgerCare Plus or a Wisconsin Medicaid program. You may also be able to get support for certain health costs through a limited-benefit program such as BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services. If you are pregnant, you can apply for the BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan, regardless of your immigration status.

The best way to find out if you are eligible is to apply online using ACCESS (ACCESS in Spanish). When you apply, your information is kept confidential. Rules about immigration status and health care program eligibility can be complex.

  Important information

  • Your information will not be shared with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) for purposes of immigration enforcement.
  • Your children born in the U.S. may be able to enroll in health care coverage programs, even if you don’t meet the rules to enroll.
  • Only people who apply for BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid need a Social Security number.
    • If you apply for your children, only your children’s Social Security numbers will be needed.
    • If you need help getting a Social Security number, you can ask for help when you apply for health care coverage.
    • There are limited special reasons when you do not need a Social Security number to enroll in BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid.
    • If you are applying for Emergency Services or BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan, you do not need a Social Security number.
  • In Wisconsin, there is no waiting period for lawfully present children and pregnant people to enroll in health care coverage programs.
  • You do not need a sponsor for a health care coverage program application.

  Full benefit health coverage programs

BadgerCare Plus

BadgerCare Plus is a health care coverage program for low-income Wisconsin residents. Members receive a range of services including preventive care and wellness visits, maternity and newborn care, urgent care, emergency care, prescription drugs, and vision care.

Learn more about covered services and how to apply: BadgerCare Plus: Wisconsin's Connection to Health Care Coverage, P-10179 (PDF)

Wisconsin Medicaid

Wisconsin Medicaid provides high-quality health care coverage, long-term care, and other services to Wisconsin residents who are elderly, blind, or disabled. There are many types of Medicaid programs and different eligibility rules:

Below are some common immigration statuses of noncitizens who may qualify for full-benefit health care programs like BadgerCare Plus and Wisconsin Medicaid. Rules are different for children, pregnant people, and adults. Many adults will have a five year wait before they may be eligible for health care benefits.

Common immigration statuses of noncitizens who may qualify for full-benefit health care programs

Lawful permanent resident / Green Card holders

  • Children and pregnant people may be immediately eligible.
  • Most adults will have a five-year wait.
  • An adult who was an asylee or refugee before becoming a lawful permanent resident does not have a five-year wait.

People who have been granted asylum

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

People who have applied for asylum and been granted employment authorization

  • Only children* and pregnant people who have applied for asylum and been granted employment authorization may be eligible.
    • *Children under age 14 who have an asylum application pending for at least 180 days do not need employment authorization to be eligible.
  • Adults are not eligible.

Refugees

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

Cuban/Haitian entrants (CHE) - Certain nationals of Cuba and Haiti who have permission to reside in the U.S. based on humanitarian considerations or under special laws that apply to them

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

People paroled into the U.S. for at least one year

  • Children and pregnant people may be immediately eligible.
  • Many Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees* may be immediately eligible.
    • *Dependent on dates of parole
  • Most other adults will have a five-year wait.

Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

Special Agricultural Worker

  • Children and pregnant people may be immediately eligible.
  • Adults are not eligible.

Battered Spouse, Child, and Parent

  • Children and pregnant people may be immediately eligible.
  • Most adults will have a five-year wait.

Victims of Trafficking

  • Adult victims of trafficking (T1 Visa holders) must have a Certification Letter from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons. Adults without a letter will have a five-year wait.
  • Children and pregnant people who are victims of trafficking (T1 Visa holders) may be immediately eligible.
  • Spouse, child, sibling, or parent of a victim of trafficking (T2, T3, T4, T5T, T6 visa holders) may be immediately eligible.

Member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or American Indian born in Canada

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau (also known as COFA migrants)

Adults and children may be immediately eligible.

People granted withholding of deportation

  • Adults and children may be immediately eligible.
  • Does not include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

  More information about the five-year wait

Some adults don’t have a five-year wait.

  • Veterans, active-duty military, and their spouses and children do not have a five-year wait regardless of their immigration status.
  • Pregnant people, children under 19, and those under 21 years of age residing in an institution for mental disease do not have a five-year wait.

When does the five-year wait start?

  • The five-year wait starts when an individual receives their immigration status*. During this five-year waiting period, some adult noncitizens may only qualify for emergency services or prenatal health care coverage.
    • *Special rules apply to those who arrived in the U.S. before August 22, 1996.

  If you don’t qualify for BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid due to immigration status, other programs may be available

Emergency Services

BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services is short-term medical coverage for people who have a medical emergency. A medical emergency is a problem that could put your health at serious risk if you do not get care right away. This coverage does not include ongoing or chronic conditions.

This program is available for people who cannot get BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid only because of their immigration status and:

  • Are 18 years or younger, or 65 years or older.
  • Are blind or disabled.
  • Are pregnant.
  • Are 18-25 years and in foster care or out-of-home care when you turned 18.
  • Have children under age 19 in your home.

Below are some common immigration statuses of noncitizens who may qualify for Emergency Services:

  • Undocumented
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
  • Temporary Protective Status
  • People paroled into the U.S.
  • Applicants for Asylum

You don’t need to have a Social Security number to use the Emergency Services program. In addition, your family’s information will not be shared for purposes of enforcing immigration laws.

BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan

The BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan provides health care coverage for pregnant people who are not eligible for BadgerCare Plus due to immigration status or being in prison or jail. Services include: prenatal care, clinic visits, prescription drugs, and labor and delivery. You don’t need to have a Social Security number to use the program. In addition, your family’s information will not be shared for purposes of enforcing immigration laws.

Wisconsin Well Woman Program

The Wisconsin Well Woman Program provides breast and cervical cancer screening services to low income, uninsured, or underinsured women. The Wisconsin Well Woman Program is a public health program, not a Medicaid program.

  Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

No, you do not need a sponsor for BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid.

No, you cannot enroll in full coverage BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid. You may be able to enroll in:

No, you cannot enroll in full coverage BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid. You may be able to enroll in:

Maybe. The only way to know if your children are eligible for health coverage is by applying. You do not need to provide information about your immigration status or Social Security number when applying for benefits for your children.

Not always. You will be asked to provide a Social Security number only for members of your household who are asking for health care coverage. If they don’t yet have a Social Security number but are eligible to get one, they can apply for BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid first. During the BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid application, ask for help with getting a Social Security number.

Yes. If refugees, asylees, and certain other immigrants apply for BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid and do not meet the income limit, they may be eligible for Refugee Medical Assistance, which has a slightly higher income limit. However, unlike BadgerCare Plus and Wisconsin Medicaid, Refugee Medical Assistance is a time-limited benefit.

It is important for refugees, asylees, and certain other immigrants to apply for these benefits right away. You can learn more by going to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance webpage.

No. Information is not shared for the purpose of enforcing immigration laws.

Some people who apply for lawful permanent resident status (green card) or a visa to enter the U.S. must pass a public charge test. The test is designed to identify people who are likely to depend on the government for cash assistance or long-term institutionalization paid for by the government to survive.

Immigration officials look at a person’s whole situation, including their age, income, health, education or skills, and family situation. This includes whether a family member or another person with enough income or resources has promised to support you.

Only two kinds of government benefits are considered in the public charge test:

  1. Ongoing cash benefits from Wisconsin Works (W2) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
  2. Long-term institutional care, like care received in a nursing home, paid for by the government.

Most immigrants only qualify for benefits that do not count towards public charge. Public charge is not a way for ICE to find or deport people. Simply using government benefits and programs does not trigger immigration enforcement.

If you have specific questions about public charge you should speak to an immigration attorney or Department of Justice accredited representative. To find help, visit the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Legal Services webpage.

Public charge does not apply to you when you renew your lawful permanent resident status (green card) or apply to become a U.S. Citizen. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can use any government benefits that they qualify for without impacting their immigration status. However, public charge may apply if you leave the country for six months or more.

Public charge does not apply to you. You can use any government benefits that you qualify for without impacting your citizenship. This is true for both people born a U.S. citizen those who become a U.S. citizen through naturalization.

Most immigrants are not subject to public charge when they apply for lawful permanent residence (a green card) or a visa. Public charge does not apply to:

  • Refugees and asylees
  • Cuban and Haitian entrants
  • Individuals granted relief under Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA), the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) or the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA)
  • Special immigrant juveniles
  • Certain victims of crime, including human trafficking victims (T nonimmigrants), victims of qualifying criminal activity (U nonimmigrants), Violence against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioners, and certain battered noncitizens
  • Afghan and Iraqi employees of U.S. Armed Forces
  • Members and families of the U.S. Armed Forces, Ready Reserves, or military serving in active duty.

Public charge doesn’t apply when submitting an application or renewal for asylum, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. It doesn’t apply when renewing your green card or when you’re applying to become a U.S. citizen.

Benefits used by Afghan humanitarian parolees (as defined in the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act) and Ukrainian/non-Ukrainian humanitarian parolees (as defined in the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022) are not part of public charge.

There are many more circumstances when public charge does not apply. Most immigrants only qualify for benefits that are safe to use, and do not count towards public charge. To learn more, go to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Public Charge Resources webpage.

No. Only long-term care in an institution paid for by Wisconsin Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus would be considered in a public charge test. It is important to know:

  • Institutionalization for short periods of rehabilitation is not considered in a public charge test.
  • Home and community based services (HCBS) Medicaid is not considered in a public charge test.
  • Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits are not considered in a public charge test in any circumstance.

No. Only benefits used by the person applying for lawful permanent resident status (green card) or a visa are reviewed in a public charge test.

Yes. The 2019 Public Charge Final Rule (implemented in February 2020) said certain noncitizens who received Medicaid or other government benefits for a certain length of time could be considered a public charge. In August 2020, this rule was put on hold due to the national emergency and public health emergency declarations made by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, the 2019 Public Charge Final Rule was set aside and no longer enforced.

In December 2022, a new public charge rule went into effect. The 2022 Final Rule provides clarity and consistency for noncitizens on how the Department of Homeland Security will administer the public charge ground of inadmissibility. For more information, refer to USCIS essential questions and answers.

If you have questions you should speak to an immigration attorney or Department of Justice accredited representative. To find help, visit the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Legal Services webpage.

Glossary

 
Last revised December 4, 2024