Applying for Medicaid

Source: AARP.org |  | March 2, 2006

You apply for Medicaid in the state where you live. Obtain and submit an application at your local Medicaid office. Also, most states have a toll-free number to help answer your questions.

You can find your local Medicaid office and a phone number on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site. Those without access to the Internet can check the blue pages of their phone book, call their local Social Security office or call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. This is a voice-automated system. You will need to request information about Medicaid and, when prompted, say the state in which you live. After doing so, you will get the number of the Medicaid office closest to where you live.

Some states also let you apply on the Internet, by telephone, or at locations in your community. To find out your state's options, call your local Medicaid office or visit the CMS Web site.

In many states, if you are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you are automatically eligible for Medicaid. To get Medicaid benefits by applying for SSI, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

You will usually need to bring the following documents with you when you apply:

• Proof of who you are (such as a birth certificate)
• Proof of where you live (such as a lease, utility bills)
• Proof of your income (such as pay stubs, letter from Social Security)
• Proof of what you own (such as bank account statements, car registration)
• Your medical bills