Jump to section about changes to:
Jump to Medicaid/CHIP information about:
Changes for noncitizen eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP will begin October 1, 2026.
If you or someone in your household are receiving Medicaid or CHIP and are affected by these changes, PA DHS will send you a letter before October 2026.
This letter will ask you to submit documents about your immigration status to see if you can still get benefits. Please watch for this letter and make sure you submit your documents.
If you do not submit your documents on time, your Medicaid and/or CHIP coverage may end starting October 1, 2026.
Eligible
The following individuals will still be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP:
- Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)
- Cuban/Haitian entrants
- Compact of Free Association migrants (those from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau)
- Lawfully present* individuals who are under age 21 or are recently pregnant
*Lawfully present is a broad term that includes almost everyone who is permitted to be in the United States and includes both short-term and long-term stays.
Not Eligible
The following individuals will NOT be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP as of Oct. 1, 2026:
- Refugees who do not have LPR status
- Asylees who do not have LPR status
- Humanitarian parolees who do not have LPR status
- Victims of domestic violence or trafficking who do not have LPR status
- Individuals who have their deportation withheld
What do I need to do?
If you need to verify your immigration status, you will receive a letter in the mail.
This letter will tell you to submit documents to PA DHS by a certain date to show that any of the following things are true:
- You are a U.S. citizen,
- You are a lawful permanent resident (LPR) and have a “green card,”
- You are a citizen of Cuba or Haiti designated a “Cuban Haitian Entrant,”
- You are a citizen of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, or Palau also know as a “COFA Migrant,”
- You are lawfully present and under age 21, OR
- You are lawfully present and are pregnant or were recently.
If any of these apply to you and you need more time to gather the documents, you must give PA DHS a written statement saying that you meet one of these immigration statuses and need more time. You can provide this written statement in person or in the mail to your local county assistance office.
How do I submit documents?
You can submit your documents in any one of the following ways:
- Online at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS
- On the free myCOMPASS PA mobile app (available on Apple or Google app stores)
- By mail using the envelope included with the letter you receive from PA DHS
- In person at your local county assistance office
If you need help providing this information, contact the Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 1-215-560-7226 (for Philadelphia residents).
What if I lose Medicaid?
Even if you lose your Medicaid because you are no longer eligible, you may become eligible later if your circumstances change. You can apply for Medicaid, at any time, we encourage you to reapply for Medicaid if:
- your citizenship status changes,
- you become pregnant,
- you have a change in income,
- you have an emergency medical condition, or
- you meet criteria for GA-related Medical Assistance.
Apply online anytime at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS.
What about the five-year waiting period?
Some individuals must have their residency status for five years in the United States before they can receive Medicaid . This is a federal requirement and HR 1 does not change who does and does not have this waiting period.
There is no five-year wait period for Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA).
EMA is limited Medicaid that covers services related to your emergency medical condition only. To be eligible for EMA, you must be under income and resource limits for federally funded Medicaid, and you must have a verified emergency medical condition certified by a doctor or medical professional.
Submit the Emergency Medical Condition Information Eligibility Form (PA 1917). PA DHS will then verify that you have an emergency medical condition.
GA-related MA provides state-funded Medicaid to noncitizens who do not meet the eligibility requirements for any other category of Medicaid.
To be eligible for GA-related MA, you must be under income and resource limits and meet one or more of the following requirements:
- Parent or stepparent of a child under age 21;
- Age 59 or older;
- Have a verified disability or be in need of health sustaining medications;
- Caring for a child under age 13 (who is not your own) in your household;
- Caring for a for a person in your household who is ill or disabled;
- Getting treatment for drug or alcohol abuse that precludes any gainful employment;
- Victim of domestic violence and receiving protective services;
- Working at least 100 hours/month at minimum wage; or,
- Be part of a two-parent household with your child who is either under age 13 or disabled and who does not qualify for Medicaid in a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) category.
If your caseworker can review you for GA-related MA without additional documents based on your age and your family, your caseworker will do this.
For other common situations that may qualify you for GA-related MA, here is what you may need to provide depending on your circumstances:
- If you have a disability: Submit the Employability Assessment Form (PA 1663)
- If you need health sustaining medication: Submit the Health-Sustaining Medication Assessment Form (PA 1671)
As of November 1, 2025, stricter rules are in effect for which noncitizens are eligible to receive SNAP.
Under the law that Congressional Republicans passed in 2025, the following groups are no longer eligible for SNAP but are still legally permitted to remain in the U.S.:
- Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants;
- Refugees;
- Asylees;
- Individuals granted withholding of removal or deportation;
- Certain parolees, including certain Ukranian nationals granted parole;
- Victims of a severe form of trafficking; and,
- Noncitizens who are victims or survivors of domestic violence under the Violence Against Women Act.
If you are a noncitizen SNAP recipient and your status is not listed above, you may continue to receive SNAP until your next renewal date. Eligibility based on the limited noncitizen statuses will be assessed upon renewal, and if you are no longer eligible for SNAP, you will receive official notice. No changes will be made to your benefits without notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Keep reading to learn more about SNAP eligibility for non-citizens.
SNAP Noncitizen Eligibility Screener
New federal laws have changed eligibility rules for noncitizens receiving SNAP. Answer a few questions to see if you are still eligible to receive SNAP benefits.
- Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) who have met the five-year waiting period or an exception to the waiting period, including:
- Refugees who have become lawful permanent residents
- Iraqi and Afghani immigrants who came to the U.S. on Special Immigrant Visas and become lawful permanent residents of the country upon admission to the U.S.
- Certain Hmong or Highland Laotian tribal members who helped the U.S. military by taking part in a military or rescue operation beginning August 5, 1964, and ending May 7, 1975, and their spouses, unmarried dependent children, and unremarried surviving spouses
- American Indians born in Canada to whom Section 289 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) applies
- Members of Indian tribes born outside of the U.S. under Section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
- Cuban/Haitian Entrants (CHE)
- Compacts of Free Association (COFA) migrants of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau
- Noncitizen U.S. Nationals (e.g., American Samoans and Swains Islanders)
If you have any questions about SNAP, you can contact your caseworker at the Department of Human Services’ County Assistance Office or call the Customer Service Center at 877-395-8930 (or 215-560-7226 if you live in Philadelphia).
Eligibility for other benefits
HR 1 did not change noncitizen eligibility rules for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for TANF (cash assistance). Some qualified immigrants who have their residency status for five years may receive benefits like TANF after the documented five-year waiting period if they meet other eligibility criteria like income, assets, and other qualifications.