Apply for Medicaid

Medicaid provides access to free and low-cost medical care.

State residents eligible for Medicaid support (sometimes referred to as Medical Assistance) include pregnant women, children, retirees age 65 and older, and people who are legally blind or disabled. Those who need nursing home care or who have breast or cervical cancer may also qualify.

Medicaid has several programs that can help you or your family.

How Do I … Apply for Medicaid?

Make Sure You're Eligible

• You think you are pregnant.
• You are under age 18.
• You are 65 or older.
• You are blind.
• You have a disability.
• You require nursing home care.
• You meet requirements based on your income and assets.

Gather What You’ll Need

• A copy of your birth certificate or other proof of identity and citizenship or immigration status
• Photo ID cards issued by federal, state, or local government agencies
• Social Security number for each person applying
• Paycheck stubs, payroll records, or recent W-2 forms covering at least the past four weeks
• Letters or forms that show income from Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement, pensions, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, or any other sources of income
• Current health insurance policies, health insurance cards, or other health insurance information
• Life insurance policies
• Recent bank statements or bank books
• Most recent tax return
• Information about assets you own (such as land or stocks and bonds)

Create & Submit Application

You can apply online, by phone, in person, or by mail. Applications are available in Spanish (las aplicaciones de Medicaid están disponibles en español).

• Apply online

• Visit www.gateway.ga.gov. Select Apply for Benefits to begin.
• If you have a Gateway account, but have forgotten or misplaced your Gateway password or your Gateway user ID, please refer to the Gateway website for instructions:
  • Forgot Password
  • Forgot User ID
  • You can apply by phone by calling 877-423-4746.
  • After your call, you may need to provide additional information or documentation.
  • You can apply in person through your county Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office.
  • Be sure to bring all required documentation for your visit.
  • You can apply by mail by calling 877-423-4746 and requesting to have forms mailed to you.
  • Complete all forms mailed to you as directed and mail back to the Division of Family and Children Services.
  • You may need to provide additional information or documentation.

  Next Steps

  • If you have medical bills from the past three months that you were not able to pay, report them on your application when you apply. If you are eligible for Medicaid, it’s possible that Medicaid will pay for some of these bills, even if you were not enrolled in Medicaid at that time.
  • Once you complete an application for Medicaid, an eligibility specialist will review your application. The eligibility specialist will make sure all necessary information has been received. A Medicaid caseworker will interview you and review your application. The caseworker will make sure that all the needed information has been provided.
  • You can check the status of your Medicaid application online at www.gateway.ga.gov or calling 877-423-4746.
  • You will find out by mail whether you are eligible for Medicaid within 45 days after you apply. (If you have a disability and it has to be determined, the process may take up to 60 days). If you are eligible for Medicaid, you will receive a Medicaid card in the mail.
  • If you are ineligible for Medicaid based on income, your information will be transferred to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) to determine if you qualify for subsidies, cost-sharing reductions, premium tax credits, or private health coverage.
  • Make Sure You're Eligible
  • Gather What You’ll Need
  • Create & Submit Application
  • Next Steps