Medicaid: The Residency Requirements in Ohio

Medicaid is a federally- and state-funded, state-operated health insurance program for low-income elderly and disabled individuals, pregnant women and children. The state of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services provides Medicaid coverage to qualifying residents.

Citizenship

• In order to qualify for Ohio Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizen or be granted qualified alien status by the Medicaid program. Non-citizens who have special immigration status may be eligible for Medicaid. Eligibility for non-citizens is determined based on whether or not the person is a refugee from a country due to fear of persecution, a victim of trafficking, has been residing in the United States as of August 22, 1996, and other circumstances.

Residency

• You must be able to prove residency within the state of Ohio by providing a current state-, federally-, or military-issued photo identification card that shows Ohio residency. You must have resided in Ohio in the past 30 days.

Transfer

• If you recently moved to Ohio and are still covered under another state's Medicaid program, you must contact the state you resided in formerly, notify them that you have moved, and then contact your local Medicaid office in Ohio to obtain instructions for transferring Medicaid. Many states will allow you to continue to be enrolled in their Medicaid program for a specified time period even after you move out-of-state.