HEALTH COVERAGE
Free DC Medicaid Until Age 26 for Former Foster Youth
If you are under 26, live in the District of Columbia, and were in foster care on your 18th birthday or later, you may qualify for DC Medicaid health coverage regardless of income.
IMPORTANT: You may qualify for free health coverage until your 26th birthday.
Do you qualify?
Are you under 26 years old?
Do you live in District of Columbia now?
Were you in foster care on your 18th birthday or later?
Check your ZIP code
Enter your ZIP code to confirm this is the right program for where you live.
Before you apply
- Have your date of birth and a District of Columbia address ready.
- Bring anything showing you were in foster care at 18 or older — a court letter, a case number, or a caseworker’s contact. Missing paperwork should not stop you from applying.
- Apply through District Direct, or call the DHCF call center. Say that you were in foster care at age 18 or older and which state you were in foster care in, so it can be verified. Youth leaving DC foster care at 18 or older are often continued automatically — it is still worth checking that your coverage started.
- Watch your mail and phone for follow-up questions.
This checklist is for guidance only. Help Foster Youth is a directory — we do not decide eligibility or process applications. Your state agency is always the final word.