Apply for Medicaid: start, send documents and follow up
You can apply for Medicaid or CHIP throughout the year. Start with your state and the people who need coverage. An application lets the agency review your circumstances; this guide cannot decide eligibility.
What this guide helps you do
- Where it applies
- General steps for Medicaid and CHIP in the United States. The guide links to Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia portals, plus the official directory for other states.
- Your next action
- Find the official application, prepare your documents and know how to follow up.
- Who decides
- Your state agency decides eligibility and tells you which documents and deadlines apply. GetBenefits does not receive or submit your application.
Start here
Write down your state and the names of the people who need health coverage. If you already applied, find your application number and go to step 6.
Who this guide is for
For adults seeking coverage, parents applying for children, and people helping a relative. Children may qualify for Medicaid or CHIP even when a parent does not. Tell the agency if the application involves pregnancy, disability, age 65 or older, or long-term care; it may need a different review.
Have these ready if available
- Names, dates of birth and a current way to contact you.
- Recent income records and how often each payment arrives. Include self-employment information if applicable.
- Current health insurance details and information about coverage offered through a job, if any.
- Social Security numbers and citizenship or immigration documents when the official application requires them for the people seeking coverage. Ask the agency about exceptions if something is unavailable.
- The application number, notices and documents already sent, if you have an open case. Keep these in one private folder.
Your steps
Identify who needs coverage
List the people applying, then answer the form's household questions. Tell the agency about children even if you think the adults will not qualify. A child and parent can receive different decisions.
Open your state's official application
Use MI Bridges in Michigan, COMPASS in Pennsylvania, or CommonHelp in Virginia. In another state, start with the Medicaid.gov state directory below. If online forms are difficult, ask that agency for its phone, paper or in-person option.
Complete one section at a time
Use your records to answer each question. Check whether an income question asks for a week, month or year. Explain recent changes rather than guessing. Ask the agency if you are unsure which people or income to include.
Submit and save proof
Review your contact details and complete the signature and submission instructions. Save the confirmation, application number and submission date. A saved draft is not a submitted application. For paper or phone applications, ask how to confirm receipt.
Respond to requests for information
Read each notice for the document needed, the deadline and the official way to send it. Send the requested information and keep proof. If you cannot obtain it, contact the agency before the deadline and ask what alternatives it accepts.
Check progress with the agency
Michigan: check MI Bridges or contact your MDHHS county office. Pennsylvania: use My Benefits Status Tracker, which can show missing documents without a COMPASS account. Virginia: ask Cover Virginia or your local social services office. Give your application number and ask what is still needed.
Read the decision for each person
If approved, check the coverage start date and any instructions for choosing a health plan. If denied, find the reason and appeal instructions in the notice. Ask the agency how to correct an error or request review; do not assume a support call replaces an appeal.
After you apply
Keep the decision and insurance information together. Confirm how to use the coverage and which providers accept it. If denied, ask whether CHIP for a child or Marketplace coverage is another option. Continue reading notices and update your contact details with the agency.
If you get stuck
Use this call script: “I applied on [date]. My application number is [number]. What is missing, how can I send it, and what is my next deadline?” Ask for an interpreter or help completing the form if needed. In Virginia, Cover Virginia is 1-855-242-8282. Elsewhere, use the official state contacts below.
If something gets in the way
A requested document is missing
Mark the missing item on the notice. Ask the agency what other proof it accepts and whether it can help obtain it. Ask before the stated deadline; requesting help does not itself extend that date.
I cannot understand the notice
Find the notice date and the person it concerns. Ask: “Is this a request, approval, renewal or denial? What must I do, and by when?” Ask for an interpreter or an accessible explanation. Keep the entire notice.
I cannot get an appointment or reach someone
Do not wait for a visit to ask how to apply. Ask the state about phone, paper or online options. If the agency has asked you to attend a specific appointment, contact it to rearrange it and record the new instructions.
My household or contact details changed
Write down what changed and when: for example, a move, birth or income change. Ask your state which changes to report and how. Update your mailing address and phone so notices can reach you; do not assume every household member gets the same coverage decision.
I have no answer yet
Use your confirmation to ask whether the application was received and whether anything is missing. Record the reply and the next date to check. If the expected date passes, ask for the agency’s escalation or review route. A status inquiry is not automatically an appeal.
After you apply: keep the process moving
Keep proof of submission
Keep your submission date, confirmation and application number together. If you applied by phone or on paper, ask the agency how to confirm receipt. A draft or this checklist does not submit an application.
Record your next contact
Write down the official office, contact method and next action in a private note. After a call, add the date and what you were told. For Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia, use the contacts in step 6.
If an appointment is requested
Record the date, time, purpose and whether the agency calls you or expects you to call or attend. Ask for language or accessibility help in advance. Follow only the appointments your agency actually requests.
Check requested documents
For each requested item, note its deadline, where you sent it and the receipt. Ask whether the agency can read it and whether more proof is needed. Sending a file does not itself mean the agency has accepted it.
Read renewal notices
Keep your contact details current and check every renewal notice. If a form is requested, return it by the date given. Some renewals can be completed using agency records; read the result instead of assuming yours was renewed.
Separate help from an appeal
If coverage is denied or ends, save the reason, affected person and appeal instructions. If you want to challenge the decision, follow the stated appeal route and deadline. Ask what happens to coverage while a review is pending; do not assume it continues.
Common questions
Do I have to wait for open enrollment?
No. Medicaid and CHIP accept applications throughout the year. Private Marketplace plans have different enrollment rules.
Can my child qualify if I do not?
Yes, a child may qualify under different rules. Ask the state to check Medicaid and CHIP for the child. Do not use a parent's result as the child's result.
The tracker cannot find my application. Should I start again?
First check your submission confirmation and contact the agency. In Pennsylvania, tracker details must match DHS records; a missing result is not a denial. Ask whether the original application was received and what you should do next.
Official sources
- HealthCare.gov — Medicaid and CHIP coverageSources checked: 2026-09-11
- USAGov — How to apply for Medicaid and CHIPSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Medicaid.gov — Find your state agency and application helpSources checked: 2026-09-13
- Michigan MDHHS — Application for health coverageSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Michigan MDHHS — County officesSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Pennsylvania DHS — Apply for MedicaidSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Pennsylvania DHS — Track an applicationSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Cover Virginia — How to apply and send documentsSources checked: 2026-09-13
- Cover Virginia — Application and coverage supportSources checked: 2026-09-13
- Cover Virginia — AppealsSources checked: 2026-09-13
- Michigan — MI BridgesSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Pennsylvania — COMPASSSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Virginia — CommonHelpSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Pennsylvania — My Benefits Status TrackerSources checked: 2026-09-11
- Virginia: renew coverageSources checked: 2026-09-13
- Virginia: update your contact detailsSources checked: 2026-09-13