HEALTH COVERAGE
Free New Mexico Medicaid Until Age 26 for Former Foster Youth
If you are under 26, live in New Mexico, and were in foster care on your 18th birthday or later, you may qualify for New Mexico Medicaid health coverage regardless of income. Ask whether foster care in another state counts.
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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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.
- You can apply at any time. Say that you were in foster care at age 18 or older, and say which state you were in foster care in, so it can be verified. Youth who leave foster care at 18 or older are often enrolled 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.