How to Apply for Medicaid in Louisiana: Eligibility, Documents & Steps

You can apply for Medicaid in Louisiana online through the state’s Self-Service Portal, by mail, by phone, or in person at a local application center. Most applications are decided within 45 days, and disability-based applications can take up to 90 days.¹ The broadest eligibility group — adults aged 19 to 64 — qualifies with household income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, which for a family of four in 2026 is roughly $45,540 a year.

Check Whether You Qualify First

Louisiana measures eligibility against the federal poverty level (FPL), which is updated each year. For 2026, 100% of the FPL is $15,960 for a single person and $33,000 for a household of four.² Which multiple of the FPL applies to you depends on the coverage group you fall into.

Adults 19 to 64

Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, so most working-age adults qualify at or below 138% of the FPL. That number is technically 133% with a 5% income disregard the state adds automatically.³ In 2026 numbers, that’s roughly $22,025 for a single adult and $45,540 for a family of four.

Children

Kids under 19 qualify at higher income levels through the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP). The main phases cover children in families earning up to about 217% of the FPL, and some phases extend higher.⁴ For a family of four in 2026, 217% of the FPL is about $71,610. When you apply, the state routes children into whichever program fits.

Pregnant Women

Pregnant women qualify at or below 138% of the FPL, and the unborn child counts as a household member when family size is calculated.⁵ Coverage runs for a full 12 months after delivery, a change Louisiana adopted in April 2022.⁶

People 65 and Older, or Blind or Disabled

This group is evaluated under rules tied to Supplemental Security Income, which means both an income test and an asset test. The 2026 resource limits are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.⁷ Your primary home and one vehicle are generally excluded; bank accounts, investments, and additional property count. If one spouse enters long-term care while the other stays in the community, spousal impoverishment rules can let the community spouse keep more.

Documents to Have Ready

Applications get delayed most often because something is missing. Pull these together before you start:

Proof of identity — a Louisiana driver’s license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID.
Proof of Louisiana residency, such as a utility bill or lease.
Income verification for everyone in the household: pay stubs, W-2s, or tax returns, plus documentation of Social Security, unemployment, or self-employment income.
Social Security numbers for every person on the application.
Proof of citizenship or qualified non-citizen status: U.S. passport, birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), or refugee paperwork. A valid state driver’s license also works as citizenship proof if the issuing state verified citizenship before issuing it.⁸
Details of any other health coverage in the household, including Medicare and private insurance.

Missing a document isn’t a reason to wait. Submit what you have. The processing clock starts the day you file, not the day your file is complete, so an early application with a gap beats a delayed application without one.

Four Ways to Submit Your Application

Online

The fastest route is the Louisiana Department of Health’s Self-Service Portal at sspweb.lameds.ldh.la.gov. Create an account, complete the application, and submit it electronically.⁹ The same account lets you check status, upload documents, report changes, and handle renewals later, so it’s worth setting up even if you’d rather fill out a paper form.

By Mail

Download the application from the Department of Health website or call to request one, then mail it to:

Louisiana Department of Health
Healthy Louisiana
P.O. Box 91283
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-9278¹⁰

By Phone

Call Medicaid Customer Service at 1-888-342-6207, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A representative can take your information over the phone and walk you through the process.⁹

In Person

Louisiana has hundreds of Medicaid application centers — hospitals, community health centers, and social service organizations that can help you complete and submit an application on the spot. You can search for one near you through the Department of Health.¹¹ Good option if your situation is complicated or you’d like a second set of eyes on the forms.

What Happens After You Apply

A caseworker reviews your application and verifies your eligibility. Standard cases must be decided within 45 days. Disability-based cases can take up to 90 days because a separate medical determination is required.¹ The state may contact you for more documentation or clarification during that window; respond quickly, because a slow reply can push you past the deadline or trigger a denial. You’ll get the decision by mail, and you can also check status through the Self-Service Portal if you set up an account.

Ask About Retroactive Coverage

If you had medical bills in the three months before you applied, Medicaid can cover them retroactively — but you have to request it on your application and be found eligible for those months.¹² If approved, contact your managed care organization within 30 days of your welcome letter to start reimbursement, and provide proof of payment within 15 days of that request. Extensions are available if you ask before the deadline.

Picking a Health Plan

Approval enrolls you in Healthy Louisiana, the state’s managed care system. You choose a managed care organization (MCO) in your area at myplan.healthy.la.gov, by phone at 1-855-229-6848, by mail, or by fax.¹³ If you don’t pick, the state assigns one. Check whether your current doctors take a plan before you choose; switching later is possible but more work.

If You Need Coverage Immediately

Regular applications take weeks. If you need care now, ask a qualified hospital about hospital presumptive eligibility. The hospital can make a preliminary eligibility decision on the spot based on self-reported information, without waiting for the full application to run its course.¹⁴ This temporary coverage is available to parents and caretaker relatives, pregnant women, children under 19, former foster care youth, and people needing family planning services or breast and cervical cancer treatment. You’ll still need to file a full Medicaid application through the hospital to keep coverage past the presumptive period.

If Your Application Is Denied

You have 30 days from the date on the denial notice to request a fair hearing.¹⁵ There’s a second timing rule worth knowing: if you already had benefits and you appeal within 10 days of the notice, your coverage continues while the appeal is reviewed. After 10 days, you can still appeal within the 30-day window, but your benefits may stop in the meantime.¹⁶

Read the denial letter carefully before requesting a hearing. Missing documents, unreported income, and household information that doesn’t match other agencies’ records are common reasons for denial, and sometimes the fix is simply resubmitting a document rather than fighting the decision.

Keeping Your Coverage

Once you’re on Medicaid, Louisiana requires you to report changes in income, household size, or address within 10 days.¹⁷ Missing that step can cost you coverage or leave you owing back the value of benefits you weren’t entitled to.

Coverage renews once a year. As of March 2026, the Department of Health no longer mails annual enrollment information; you check ldh.la.gov or myplan.healthy.la.gov for renewal details, or call 1-855-229-6848 to request a paper copy.¹⁸ Renewing through the Self-Service Portal is the fastest option, but phone and mail also work.¹⁰

1
Louisiana Department of Health. G-0000 Application Processing
2
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
3
Louisiana Department of Health. H-3500 Adult Group
4
Louisiana Department of Health. Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program Report
5
Louisiana Department of Health. H-2900 Pregnant Women Group
6
Louisiana Department of Health. H-1900 Twelve Months Continuous Eligibility
7
Social Security Administration. 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet
8
Louisiana Department of Health. Citizenship/Identity and Qualified Non-Citizen Status
9
Louisiana Department of Health. LA E&E Self Service Portal
10
Louisiana Department of Health. Renew Medicaid
11
Louisiana Department of Health. Application Center Resource Library
12
Louisiana Department of Health. Retroactive Reimbursement Policy and Procedure
13
Healthy Louisiana. Enroll
14
Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 50 III-2529 – Hospital Presumptive Eligibility
15
Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 50 III-101 – Fair Hearings
16
Louisiana Department of Health. How to Appeal Medicaid
17
Louisiana Department of Health. L-0000 Changes in Circumstances
18
Louisiana Department of Health. Informational Bulletin 26-6 Update to How Managed Care Members Change Health and Dental Plans