Medicaid
Public health insurance for low-income people, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, pregnancy, and children's care. States run it under federal rules, and each state has its own name and details (California calls it Medi-Cal).
Key difference in this state
Unlike California, New York does NOT give full-scope Medicaid to all adults regardless of immigration status. New York extends coverage regardless of status only to specific groups: (1) children under 19 โ via Child Health Plus / children's Medicaid, regardless of status; (2) pregnant people โ full Medicaid regardless of status, continuing through 12 months postpartum; (3) adults age 65+ โ "Expanded Medicaid" (full coverage via Medicaid Managed Care) regardless of status, effective Jan 1, 2024, if income is โค138% FPL and resources are within limits (you must first get Emergency Medicaid at your Local Department of Social Services (LDSS) or NYC HRA, then you are enrolled automatically). Undocumented adults 19-64 who are not pregnant qualify only for Emergency Medicaid (emergencies, including labor and delivery). The Essential Plan is only for lawfully present immigrants (DACA recipients added Aug 1, 2024) โ not for undocumented people; and effective July 1, 2026, under federal H.R. 1 the Essential Plan reverts to Basic Health Program authority, so about 450,000 enrollees above 200% FPL (and DACA recipients) lose the Essential Plan and move to Qualified Health Plans. This is a fast-changing area โ check the latest official NY State of Health guidance.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Public health coverage for children in families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage. It is jointly funded by the federal and state governments (Title XXI of the Social Security Act). Each state designs and runs its own program under federal rules โ as a separate CHIP, as a Medicaid-expansion CHIP, or both โ so the name, income limits, and details differ by state (state eligibility levels range from about 170% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level). Besides children, some states' separate CHIP programs also cover pregnant women.
Key difference in this state
New York runs its CHIP as a separate, branded program: Child Health Plus (CHPlus), for children under 19. New York's official Documentation Guide for Citizen and Non-Citizen Eligibility for Health Insurance Coverage (OHIP-0046, 6/24) states: "Regardless of immigration status, applicants may be eligible for CHPlus, prenatal care, the treatment of an emergency medical condition" โ and, more directly, "Undocumented children may be eligible for CHPlus, if otherwise eligible." In that guide's income table broken out by status, the "Undocumented" column likewise lists Child Health Plus at "โค 400% FPL, Birth through age 18." New York's CHIP state plan also provides that "[a]pplicants who are unable to obtain a social security number due to their immigration status ... may still apply for and be eligible for coverage." So for families: status is not a barrier to enrolling your child in CHPlus. Be aware of the funding split behind the scenes (it does not change what you pay): New York's CHIP state plan takes the federal CHIPRA "lawfully residing" option, so federal Title XXI dollars can only pay for citizen and lawfully residing children; CHPlus for undocumented children is paid with state funds. Your child still enrolls through NY State of Health and pays from the same premium table (or nothing). The pregnancy pathway (FCEP โ see income limits) is federal CHIP money and is open to uninsured pregnant people not otherwise eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. โ ๏ธ One honest caveat: the "regardless of immigration status" language appears in OHIP-0046 dated 6/24 and on earlier NY State of Health "At a Glance" cards, but the current 2026 At a Glance card no longer lists that bullet. We found no official notice of any rule change, and NY State of Health does verify immigration status to determine which program you qualify for. This is a changing area โ check the latest official NY State of Health / NYS DOH guidance.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")
Monthly food benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need. Benefits come on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card โ EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 โ which you swipe like a bank card at authorized grocery stores. The benefit amount is based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, updated each year to keep pace with food prices, and depends on your household size and how much monthly income is left after certain expenses are deducted. It is a federal program (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), but state public assistance agencies run it through their local offices โ you must apply in the state where you currently live, so the application and the local name vary by state (California calls it CalFresh). Benefits generally arrive no later than 30 days after the office receives your application; households with little or no money that need help right away may get benefits within 7 days.
Key difference in this state
๐ด New York implemented the federal narrowing in full, and there is no state-funded program catching the people it excludes โ that has to be said plainly, so do not take New York's reputation for granted. (1) When and how New York acted: per guidance relayed by New York City's Department of Social Services / Human Resources Administration (DSS/HRA), "On April 1, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Affairs (OTDA) issued guidance entitled 'Changes to SNAP Eligibility for Non-Citizens under H.R.1--Preliminary Guidance' providing instructions effective immediately on how to implement new changes to SNAP eligibility as dictated in H.R.1." The crucial cushion: "The new eligibility changes apply to those who are submitting new benefits applications or recertifying existing benefits cases โ there will not be any changes to benefits received as a result of this guidance outside of those points." In plain terms: if you are already receiving SNAP, your benefits are not cut mid-certification; the change happens at your next recertification. (2) Who can still get it. Per that guidance, "the only noncitizens who will be eligible to receive SNAP are": (a) Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who either have more than 5 years in qualified status; are under 18 years old; have earned or can be credited with more than 40 qualifying quarters; are in receipt of certain disability benefits; or are currently in a qualified status and were age 65 or older on 8/22/96 and were lawfully residing in the U.S. on that date; (b) Citizens of the Freely Associated States (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) lawfully residing in the U.S. under the Compacts of Free Association; (c) Cuban/Haitian Entrants; and (d) ๐ a route that matters and is easy to miss: "Lawful permanent residents who do not have any of the above criteria but who have entered or adjusted status based on an immigration status recognized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)." Those statuses include: Refugees; Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients; Ukrainian parolees paroled into the U.S. between 2/24/2022 and 9/30/2024; Afghan parolees paroled into the U.S. between 7/31/2021 and 9/30/2023; Asylees; Victims of human trafficking; Individuals admitted to the United States as an Amerasian immigrant; Grantees of withholding of removal; Certain Hmong or Highland Laotian tribal members; Certain American Indians born abroad; and "Active Military or Veterans, if also holding status as an LPR and meeting the associated military criteria listed." ๐ Notice what this means: if you were a refugee or an asylee and you later got your green card, you generally still qualify โ and you do not have to wait five years. Many people do not know this and give up their benefits for no reason. (3) ๐ด Who can no longer get it. "Individuals with the following immigration statuses, who do NOT have any other immigration statuses had previously been potentially eligible to receive SNAP, but are no longer eligible to receive SNAP unless/until they become a lawful permanent resident and meet the relevant criteria": Refugees; Asylees; Ukrainian parolees paroled in the window above; Afghan parolees paroled in the window above; Victims of Human Trafficking; Grantees of withholding of removal; Qualified battered non-citizens (including VAWA self-petitioners); Individuals granted humanitarian parole for one year or longer; Certain Hmong or Highland Laotian tribal members; Individuals admitted to the United States as an Amerasian immigrant; Certain American Indians born abroad; Active Military or Veterans. (4) ๐ด Does New York have a state-funded replacement? We did not find one. Unlike California โ which at least has CFAP, even though CFAP also fails to catch most of the people H.R.1 hit โ we could not find any official New York State-funded food benefit for people excluded from SNAP solely because of citizenship status. Official State and City guidance points people who lose eligibility toward emergency food (food pantries), the 211 line, and WIC, not toward a replacement benefit. โ ๏ธ This is a "we did not find one," not a verified "New York will never have one" โ there have been legislative proposals to create such a program, but we found no official evidence that one has been enacted and is operating, so we will not tell you money is waiting. Rely on the latest official OTDA/HRA guidance. (5) Things that still hold and are useful to you, in the official words: "All New Yorkers are eligible to apply for benefits, regardless of immigration status." "Non-citizen parents ARE able to apply for their U.S. citizen children." "The SNAP office is not allowed to ask for immigration documents for people who are not applying to receive benefits themselves." And: "We encourage clients who apply for benefits to allow HRA to make the benefits eligibility determination rather than determining their own eligibility beforehand." This is a changing area โ check with OTDA or your local department of social services.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Nutrition support for pregnancy and early childhood. In USDA's own words, WIC "serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care." Coverage runs from pregnancy until a child turns 5: pregnant women; postpartum women (up to 6 months after the end of a pregnancy); breastfeeding women (up to the infant's first birthday); infants; and children up to their fifth birthday. Every applicant first gets a free, simple health check by WIC staff, and must be individually determined to be at nutrition risk by a health professional โ two major types are recognized: medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, a history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes; and dietary risks such as inappropriate feeding practices or failure to meet the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food benefits come on an eWIC card, which works just like a debit card and can be used at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets. Benefits are not limited to food: they also include health screening, nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, immunization screening and referral, and substance abuse referral. It is a federal program (USDA), but in USDA's words, "while funded through grants from the Federal Government, WIC is administered by 89 State agencies," with services at county health departments, hospitals, schools, Indian Health Service facilities, and other clinic locations โ you apply through a WIC agency in your area, so the local name and process vary. Moms, dads, foster parents, and anyone else raising kids under 5 can apply for the kids in their care.
Key difference in this state
๐ This is the answer to the question the federal layer leaves open. Federal rules let a state choose to limit WIC to U.S. citizens, nationals, and qualified aliens (7 CFR 246.7(c)(3)) โ New York has not taken that option, and NYSDOH says so on its own eligibility page: "Every eligible family can be certified for WIC regardless of immigration status." The same page lists what actually matters: living in New York State; being pregnant, breastfeeding, or having had a baby within the last 6 months, or having (or being the guardian or foster parent of) a child under 5; and meeting the income limits โ "You can also receive WIC even if you and/or other household members are working." Immigration status is not among the criteria. ๐ Read that as an affirmative statement of state policy, not merely an absence of a contrary rule. ๐ You may skip the income test entirely: NYSDOH states you are "automatically income eligible" if you already receive Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), TANF (cash assistance), the Essential Plan, or Head Start/Early Head Start benefits. ๐ด One short reassurance, with the detail on the WIC program page: WIC is not counted in the public charge test โ see the program page for the USCIS grounding. Policy can change โ confirm with the NYS WIC Program (518-402-7093) or your local WIC office.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
A refundable federal tax credit for low- to moderate-income working people and families. In the IRS's words, the EITC "helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe โ and maybe increase your refund." The key word is refundable โ as the IRS puts it, "This is a refundable credit, so you can get back more than you pay in taxes." In plain terms: you can get money back even if you owe no tax at all. You must have earned income (wages, salary, tips, or self-employment income), and you claim it on your federal tax return โ there is no separate application form, no office to visit, and no waiting list. The credit is larger if you have qualifying children, but workers without any children can also get a smaller version. For tax year 2025 (the return you file in 2026), the maximum credit is $649 with no qualifying children, $4,328 with one, $7,152 with two, and $8,046 with three or more. The tax year 2025 income cutoffs (adjusted gross income) are $19,104 (single, head of household, married filing separately, or qualifying surviving spouse) or $26,214 (married filing jointly) with no children; $50,434 / $57,554 with one child; $57,310 / $64,430 with two; and $61,555 / $68,675 with three or more. Investment income must be $11,950 or less for tax year 2025. These amounts are adjusted every year โ rely on the IRS tables for the year you are actually filing. This is a purely federal program, administered directly by the IRS under one nationwide set of rules; states have no role in the federal EITC. But note: separately from this federal credit, many states and some local governments run their own state EITC, usually set as a percentage of the federal credit, varying in whether it is refundable, and sometimes with different rules โ see your state's details.
Key difference in this state
The federal EITC requires a Social Security number valid for employment, so a family that files with ITINs cannot claim it โ see the federal rule for this program. The question here is whether New York's own credit is different, and the honest answer is that it is not: New York's Earned Income Credit follows the federal rule. New York's Department of Taxation and Finance states the state credit "is generally equal to 30% of your allowable federal earned income credit," and to qualify you "must have a valid Social Security number for you and each of your qualifying children." Because the state credit is figured from โ and requires โ the federal EITC, an ITIN filer who cannot claim the federal EITC also cannot claim the New York State credit. ๐ด This is the opposite of California: New York did not legislate ITIN inclusion, so there is no state-EITC moat here for ITIN filers. The credit is refundable for full-year residents, nonrefundable for nonresidents, and partially refundable for part-year residents. If your household includes someone with an SSN valid for employment who otherwise qualifies, that person may still claim the federal EITC and, on top of it, the 30% New York State credit. ๐ด Note the boundary: this is a tax credit, not an immigration determination, and it does not change anyone's status.
This page lists only the programs we've covered so far โ it does not mean these are the only benefits in this state.