Medicaid for Children and Adults with Disabilities

Medicaid can provide free or low-cost health care and long-term services and supports to low-income children and adults with disabilities.

Children and adults with disabilities who get Medicaid usually are in one or more of the following groups:

• They have little or no money.
• They get Supplemental Security Income. In Texas, people on SSI can automatically get Medicaid.
• They "buy-in" to Medicaid through the Medicaid Buy-In for Adults or Medicaid Buy-In for Children programs.
• They could be or have been placed in a nursing facility or care facility for people with intellectual disabilities.
• They already get home and community-based services through a waiver program like Home and Community-based Services (HCS) or Texas Home Living (TxHmL).

To get Medicaid, you must be a Texas resident and a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen. When you apply, we'll ask about your income, your age, and your disability status to see if you qualify.

Children with Disabilities

To get Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, children with disabilities must be age 20 and younger. Children with disabilities can also be covered through Children's Medicaid.

When you apply, we'll ask you about your income and your child's disability to help determine which programs your child might be able to get.

If you have a child with a disability and make too much money to get Medicaid, you might be able to get coverage through the Medicaid Buy-In for Children program. MBIC allows families of children with disabilities to make a monthly payment to get Medicaid coverage.

Adults with Disabilities

If you have a disability and work, you might be able to get the Medicaid Buy-In for Adults program.