How to apply for NC Medicaid in North Carolina

Medicaid in North Carolina: 2026 Eligibility and How to Apply

Apply for North Carolina Medicaid through ePASS or your county DSS. On ePASS, the application is called Medical Assistance; you can start even if you do not yet have every supporting document.

Who qualifies for Medicaid in North Carolina

Ask the agency to consider every relevant route:

• Adults ages 19–64: the expansion group, subject to income, Medicare status, residency, and other eligibility rules.
• Children: Medicaid or CHIP, with age-specific income rules.
• Pregnancy: a separate category, with its own income and coverage rules.
• Older adults, people with disabilities, and people who need long-term care: separate rules may consider assets as well as income.

ePASS calls Medicaid “Medical Assistance”

North Carolina expanded Medicaid to qualifying adults ages 19–64. Children, pregnancy, disability, Medicare-related assistance and long-term care still need their own category review. The state application guide is more useful than comparing every person against the same income line.

For an online application, create or use an NCID account in ePASS and choose Medical Assistance. The state says supporting documents can be included if you have them; do not put off starting solely because you are still gathering a document. DSS can tell you what additional proof is required.

Ask about Appendix D if you need an aged, blind, disability-related or long-term care review, and Appendix E if you want past medical bills considered. These are requests for the agency to assess, not promises that a service or earlier bill will be covered.

State sources: NC Medicaid: apply · NC Medicaid: expansion · Checked September 8, 2026.

2026 Medicaid income limits in North Carolina

The table is an arithmetic reference for the common adult expansion income level, using 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. It is not an official North Carolina eligibility table. The agency decides whose income counts, the applicable category, the effective date, and any rounding or exclusions.

Source: HHS 2026 poverty guidelines · Checked September 8, 2026.

Source: HealthCare.gov: adult expansion and category differences · Checked September 8, 2026.

Calculation: annual HHS guideline × 1.38; monthly reference = that unrounded annual value ÷ 12. Alaska and Hawaii use their own HHS guidelines. This is not a take-home-pay test or a reason to stop an application near a boundary.

How to apply for Medicaid in North Carolina

1. Start with Medical Assistance. Use ePASS with an NCID account, or contact your county Department of Social Services. Medicaid accepts applications year-round.
2. Ask for the support you need. DSS accepts applications through several channels and can help with language access. Call 1-888-245-0179 if you need help locating the next step.
3. Add documents and the relevant supplement. Provide documents you already have. Ask DSS about Appendix D for disability, older age or long-term care, or Appendix E for past medical bills.
4. Keep the confirmation. Save what you submitted and reply to any request by the date in your notice. An application is not an approval or a guarantee of immediate coverage.

Application instructions: NC Medicaid: apply · Checked September 8, 2026.

Common questions

Eligibility guidance reviewed September 8, 2026. Sources and reference periods are shown above. Confirm current category rules with the agency before applying.