Mississippi Medicaid

Updated August 2026

Mississippi Medicaid is administered by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM). DOM operates under the Mississippi Department of Human Services and maintains 30 regional offices across the state in addition to its Jackson central office. As of 2025, approximately 800,000 Mississippians are enrolled — around 27% of the state's population, a high share despite the program's restricted eligibility, reflecting the state's low median income and high rates of childhood and senior poverty.

Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid — most working-age adults without disabilities do not qualify

Mississippi is one of a handful of remaining states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Adults without qualifying children or a documented disability generally do not qualify for Mississippi Medicaid regardless of their income. If you are an able-bodied adult without dependent children, you likely do not qualify. Review the covered groups below carefully before applying.

What is Mississippi Medicaid?

Mississippi operates a mixed delivery system. The MississippiCAN program (Mississippi Coordinated Access Network) provides managed care for certain populations including children and families. Other populations, particularly seniors and adults with disabilities, may receive services through fee-for-service Medicaid. Per medicaid.ms.gov, the MESA portal serves both members and providers for claims, eligibility verification, and provider searches.

Mississippi also maintains a specific program called Mississippi ACCESS to Maternal Assistance (MAMA) for maternal health outreach. Separate programs exist for children in the Katie Beckett track and for working disabled adults. The Division of Medicaid's stated mission is to "responsibly provide access to quality health coverage for vulnerable Mississippians."

Who qualifies for Mississippi Medicaid?

Per the Mississippi Division of Medicaid eligibility page (updated March 2026), individuals must fit into a covered group AND meet income requirements AND be a Mississippi resident with citizenship or qualifying immigration status. Mississippi does not offer the ACA expansion category. There is no general adult Medicaid coverage for people who are not children, pregnant women, parents with dependent children, or individuals with qualifying disabilities or age.

Infants and children (birth to age 18): Income limits vary by age — infants birth to age 1 qualify at 194% FPL; children age 1–6 at 143% FPL; children age 6–19 at 133% FPL. See the income limits page for exact monthly figures per the March 2026 DOM table.
Pregnant women: Qualify at up to 194% FPL. Benefits extend 12 months postpartum. Any child born to a Medicaid-eligible mother automatically receives Medicaid until age 1. Pregnant minors under 19 qualify regardless of family income.
Parents and caretaker relatives with dependent children: Must have children under 18 living in the home. The income limit is extremely low — the March 2026 DOM table shows $600/month for a family of 4. This is one of the most restrictive parent income limits in any state.
Aged, blind, and disabled (SSI recipients): Individuals 65 or older, blind, or disabled who receive SSI qualify automatically. Non-SSI disabled individuals may qualify through separate income and functional assessment criteria.

Source: Mississippi Division of Medicaid, "Who Qualifies for Coverage," updated March 2026. Full covered group descriptions at medicaid.ms.gov.

The coverage gap — who falls through

Because Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid, a large number of low-income adults fall into what researchers call the "coverage gap" — they earn too much for Mississippi's restricted Medicaid but too little to qualify for subsidized ACA marketplace plans (which start at 100% FPL). The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that over 200,000 Mississippians have fallen in this gap over the years since the ACA was implemented.

Adults in the coverage gap may be able to access care through federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on a sliding-scale fee basis. Use the HRSA Health Center Finder at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov to find a community health center in Mississippi. Adults in rural areas of the state — which is most of the state — often rely on these centers as their primary source of care.