Medicaid Office

Find a Medicaid doctor near you

Updated August 2026

Finding a Medicaid doctor near you is not always straightforward. Unlike private insurance, Medicaid provider networks are controlled at the state level — and in most states, the doctor search process depends on which managed care plan you're enrolled in, not just your state's Medicaid program as a whole. This guide explains how provider directories work, where to find yours, and what to do when the directory comes up empty.

Why finding a Medicaid doctor is different from private insurance

Medicaid is administered by each state under federal requirements. That means there is no single national Medicaid provider directory. California's Medi-Cal network is completely separate from Texas's STAR program, which is separate from New York's Medicaid managed care network. Even within a single state, your specific managed care organization (MCO) controls which doctors you can see.

Most Medicaid enrollees today receive care through an MCO — a private health plan contracted by the state to manage benefits. The state pays the plan a per-member monthly rate, and the plan builds its own provider network. When you look up a "Medicaid doctor near me," you're really looking for doctors in your MCO's network, not all doctors who accept Medicaid statewide.

Federal network adequacy standards require states to ensure beneficiaries can access covered services without unreasonable delay, per 42 CFR Part 438. In practice, enforcement varies. Some states — particularly rural ones — have persistent gaps between what the rules require and what's actually available.

How to find your Medicaid plan's provider directory

The fastest path to finding a Medicaid doctor near you starts with identifying your managed care plan. Check your Medicaid card — it should list your plan name. If you've lost your card or don't know your plan, call your state Medicaid agency's member services line.

Once you have the plan name, go to that plan's website directly. Every MCO is required to maintain an online provider directory. Look for a link labeled "Find a doctor," "Provider finder," or "Find care." You can typically filter by:

  • Specialty (primary care, urgent care, orthopedic, OB-GYN, etc.)
  • Location or ZIP code with distance radius
  • Whether the provider is accepting new patients
  • Language spoken
  • Hospital affiliation

Call the doctor's office before booking — directories are updated periodically but not always current. A provider listed as accepting Medicaid may have closed their panel. Ask specifically: "Do you accept [plan name] Medicaid and are you taking new patients?"

State Medicaid provider directories — all 50 states plus DC

Because Medicaid is state-run, provider lookup tools are different in every state. Find your state below for its program name and a link to that state's Medicaid overview page, which has the official provider directory and agency contact details. In managed care states, you'll be directed to your specific plan's directory after selecting your MCO.

Alabama

Program name
Alabama Medicaid Agency
Where to start
Find a Alabama provider

Alaska

Program name
Alaska Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Alaska provider

Arizona

Program name
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)
Where to start
Find a Arizona provider

Arkansas

Program name
Arkansas Medicaid (Arkansas Works)
Where to start
Find a Arkansas provider

California

Program name
Medi-Cal

Colorado

Program name
Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Colorado provider

Connecticut

Program name
Connecticut Medicaid (HUSKY Health)

Delaware

Program name
Delaware Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Delaware provider

District of Columbia

Program name
DC Medicaid

Florida

Program name
Florida Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Florida provider

Georgia

Program name
Georgia Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Georgia provider

Hawaii

Program name
Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Hawaii provider

Idaho

Program name
Idaho Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Idaho provider

Illinois

Program name
Illinois Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Illinois provider

Indiana

Program name
Indiana Medicaid (Healthy Indiana Plan)
Where to start
Find a Indiana provider

Iowa

Program name
Iowa Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Iowa provider

Kansas

Program name
KanCare (Kansas Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Kansas provider

Kentucky

Program name
Kentucky Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Kentucky provider

Louisiana

Program name
Louisiana Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Louisiana provider

Maine

Program name
MaineCare (Maine Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Maine provider

Maryland

Program name
Maryland Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Maryland provider

Massachusetts

Program name
MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid)

Michigan

Program name
Michigan Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Michigan provider

Minnesota

Program name
Medical Assistance (Minnesota Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Minnesota provider

Mississippi

Program name
Mississippi Medicaid

Missouri

Program name
MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Missouri provider

Montana

Program name
Montana Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Montana provider

Nebraska

Program name
Nebraska Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Nebraska provider

Nevada

Program name
Nevada Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Nevada provider

New Hampshire

Program name
New Hampshire Medicaid

New Jersey

Program name
NJ FamilyCare (New Jersey Medicaid)

New Mexico

Program name
New Mexico Medicaid

New York

Program name
New York Medicaid
Where to start
Find a New York provider

North Carolina

Program name
NC Medicaid

North Dakota

Program name
North Dakota Medicaid

Ohio

Program name
Ohio Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Ohio provider

Oklahoma

Program name
Oklahoma Health Care Authority (SoonerCare)
Where to start
Find a Oklahoma provider

Oregon

Program name
Oregon Health Plan (OHP)
Where to start
Find a Oregon provider

Pennsylvania

Program name
Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (Medicaid)

Rhode Island

Program name
Rhode Island Medicaid

South Carolina

Program name
South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections)

South Dakota

Program name
South Dakota Medicaid

Tennessee

Program name
TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid)
Where to start
Find a Tennessee provider

Texas

Program name
Texas Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Texas provider

Utah

Program name
Utah Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Utah provider

Vermont

Program name
Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care)
Where to start
Find a Vermont provider

Virginia

Program name
Virginia Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Virginia provider

Washington

Program name
Apple Health (Washington Medicaid)

West Virginia

Program name
West Virginia Medicaid

Wisconsin

Program name
Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth)
Where to start
Find a Wisconsin provider

Wyoming

Program name
Wyoming Medicaid
Where to start
Find a Wyoming provider

Each state overview page links to that state's official Medicaid agency site, where you'll find the provider directory or your managed care plan's directory link. Directory URLs change periodically — if a link doesn't load the provider search directly, look for "Find a provider" or "Provider directory" on the agency's homepage.

FQHCs: a guaranteed access point for Medicaid enrollees

If you're newly enrolled, between plans, or simply can't find a primary care doctor taking new Medicaid patients, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are your most reliable fallback. FQHCs are required by federal law to accept all patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay — and they must accept Medicaid.

HRSA funds approximately 1,400 FQHCs operating more than 16,200 service sites across all 50 states, territories, and DC, per HRSA's most recent data. These include urban community health centers, rural health clinics, and frontier sites — so even members in less-populated areas typically have an FQHC within a reasonable distance.

FQHCs bill Medicaid at a federally mandated Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate, which means the center is financially stable regardless of how many Medicaid patients it serves. You won't be turned away at the door because the clinic "doesn't take your plan." Services commonly available at FQHCs include:

  • Primary care and preventive care
  • Dental care
  • Mental health and behavioral health services
  • Substance use disorder treatment
  • Prenatal and OB care at many sites
  • Chronic disease management (diabetes, hypertension, asthma)

Search HRSA's "Find a Health Center" tool by city, state, or ZIP code with a radius from 5 to 250 miles to locate the nearest site.

What to ask when you call a provider's office

A provider appearing in a Medicaid directory does not guarantee they will see you. Directories have lag time — a doctor who left a plan last month may still appear in this month's printed version. Always call first. When you call, ask these questions directly:

  • Do you accept Medicaid from [your specific plan name, e.g., Molina Healthcare, Centene, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan]?
  • Are you currently accepting new Medicaid patients?
  • How far out is the first available appointment for a new patient?
  • Do you have interpreters or translated materials available? (if applicable)
  • Is this location accessible by public transit?

Note the name of the staff member you spoke with and the date. If you're denied care by a provider who is listed as in-network and accepting new patients, document that — it may support an appeal to your MCO or a complaint to your state Medicaid agency about network adequacy.

Finding urgent care and specialists on Medicaid

Urgent care near you that accepts Medicaid follows the same logic as primary care: it depends on your plan. Some MCOs list urgent care centers separately in their directory; others include them under "primary care" or "walk-in clinic."

For specialists — orthopedic, mental health, dermatology — most Medicaid managed care plans require a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) before you can see a specialist. Check your plan's member handbook for the referral process. Skipping this step and going directly to a specialist can result in a denied claim even if that specialist is in-network.

A few types of care don't require referrals in most states:

  • Emergency room visits (true emergencies)
  • OB-GYN for routine preventive care in many plans
  • Mental health and substance use disorder services (federal parity law applies)
  • Family planning services — federally protected without prior authorization

If you can't get a referral fast enough, HRSA-funded FQHCs offer integrated care — your primary care visit and your mental health appointment can often happen at the same site, without a separate referral process through an MCO.

What to do if you can't find an in-network provider

No in-network provider available within a reasonable distance? You have options.

  • Request an out-of-network exception — federal network adequacy standards require your MCO to cover out-of-network care when no in-network provider is available. Call member services, explain the situation, and document your attempts to find an in-network provider first.
  • Ask for help changing plans — most states allow Medicaid managed care members to switch plans at least once a year, and sometimes more often if access problems are documented.
  • File a grievance with your MCO — MCOs are required to have a grievance process for members who experience access problems, and a filed grievance creates a paper trail.
  • Contact your state Medicaid agency directly if your MCO isn't resolving the issue — states have an oversight interest in network adequacy and can pressure plans to perform.
  • Use an FQHC in the meantime — don't delay care while working through the access problem.

Fee-for-service Medicaid: a different search process

Not everyone is enrolled in a managed care plan. In fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid, the state pays providers directly rather than routing care through an MCO. Some elderly adults, individuals with disabilities, and members in rural areas without MCO coverage may still be in FFS.

In FFS Medicaid, any provider enrolled with your state's Medicaid program can see you — you aren't restricted to a plan's network. Your state Medicaid agency maintains a list of enrolled providers. Check whether you're in managed care or FFS by calling your state agency's member services line or logging into your state's member portal.

Dual eligibles: Medicare and Medicaid together

About 13 million Americans qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid — sometimes called "dual eligibles." If you're in this group, your provider access works differently. Medicare is your primary payer, so you can see any doctor who accepts Medicare. Medicaid acts as a secondary payer for cost-sharing and may cover services Medicare doesn't, like long-term care and some dental services.

Dual eligibles in states with Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) have a managed care plan that coordinates both programs. If you're dual-eligible, your primary care doctor search should start with Medicare's provider compare tool, since Medicare's reach is broader than most Medicaid-only networks.

Telehealth options through Medicaid

Every state Medicaid program now covers at least some telehealth services. Telehealth expands your effective provider pool — you're no longer limited to doctors with offices within a practical driving distance. Telehealth is especially useful for mental health services; most Medicaid MCOs have added telehealth-only behavioral health providers since 2020.

Some restrictions do apply: certain procedure codes are excluded from telehealth reimbursement, and a small number of states still require an established in-person relationship before telehealth visits are covered. Check your state-specific rules.

Common misconceptions about Medicaid provider access

One widespread misconception: "Medicaid providers are all low quality." The data doesn't support this. FQHCs, academic medical centers, and major hospital systems all participate in Medicaid — quality varies by specific provider and location, not by program.

Another: "If a doctor's website says they accept Medicaid, I can just show up." Not accurate. Many provider websites list "Medicaid" generically, meaning they accept some Medicaid plans — not necessarily yours. A plan-specific directory search and a follow-up phone call remain essential regardless of what a website says.

A third: "I have to wait until open enrollment to switch plans if I'm unhappy with my network." Many states allow mid-year plan switches when documented access problems exist — waiting months is not always required.

Quick reference: how to find a Medicaid doctor near you

To summarize the steps in plain sequence:

  1. 1

    Find your Medicaid card

    Note your managed care plan name. If unknown, call your state Medicaid agency.

  2. 2

    Use your MCO's provider finder

    Filter by specialty, ZIP code, and "accepting new patients."

  3. 3

    Call the office before booking

    Confirm they accept your specific plan and have availability.

  4. 4

    Try an FQHC if nothing is available nearby

    Use HRSA's Find a Health Center tool to locate the nearest site.

  5. 5

    Escalate if the problem continues

    Contact your state Medicaid agency and request an out-of-network exception or a plan change.

Every state has a member services line — the number is usually on the back of your Medicaid card and on your state agency's website. Use it. Staff can often resolve access issues faster than online tools.

States mentioned in this guide

California Texas New York Florida Pennsylvania Illinois

Medicaid rules vary by state

Find your state's specific income limits, application steps, and covered benefits.

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