How to Complete and Submit the NJ FamilyCare Medicaid Application

You can file an NJ FamilyCare Medicaid application online at njfamilycare.dhs.state.nj.us, by mail, by fax, or in person at a County Board of Social Services, and there is no fee to apply.¹ The online portal is the fastest route. Before you start, pull together proof of income, Social Security numbers and dates of birth for everyone in your household, and immigration documents for any non-citizen household members. The application itself takes most people under an hour once the paperwork is in hand, and the state typically issues a decision within 30 to 45 days.²

Check That You’re in the Right Ballpark Before Applying

NJ FamilyCare uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income — the income figure from your federal tax return — to decide eligibility, with limits set as percentages of the Federal Poverty Level.³ Adults ages 19 to 64 qualify at income up to 138% FPL, which is roughly $1,836 a month for one person or $2,489 for a couple. Children under 19 qualify up to 355% FPL (about $9,763 a month for a family of four), and pregnant applicants qualify up to 205% FPL. Larger households can earn more and still qualify; the state publishes a full chart by family size on its site.

You also need to be a New Jersey resident. Adult non-citizens generally need to have held Legal Permanent Resident status for at least five years, though refugees, asylees, and other lawfully present groups are exempt from that waiting period, as are pregnant applicants who are lawfully present.³ Children can qualify regardless of immigration status under the state’s Cover All Kids initiative.²

Documents to Gather Before You Start

The application asks for personal and financial information on every household member, not only the people seeking coverage. Having the following in front of you before you begin will keep the process moving:

Social Security numbers and dates of birth for everyone in the household, plus birth certificates if verification is requested.
Proof of income: your last four weeks of pay stubs, or your most recent W-2 forms and federal tax return. Self-employed applicants should bring records of net earnings.
Immigration paperwork for non-citizen household members, such as a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Document.
Details on any current health coverage, including policy numbers, the carrier name, whether employer-offered coverage meets minimum value standards, and the employee premium amount.
Names and addresses of current employers for working household members.

If something is missing, submit the application anyway. The application form specifically instructs you to sign and send it in rather than wait, and a caseworker will follow up for anything still needed.⁴

Filling Out the Application

Whether you work online or on paper, the questions are essentially the same. Three sections tend to trip people up.

Household and Tax Filing Status

List every person who lives in your home, including anyone not applying for coverage. You will also indicate who plans to file a federal tax return and who will be claimed as a dependent. NJ FamilyCare calculates income based on tax-filing units, not simply who shares an address, so this section drives the eligibility math.³

Income

Report gross earnings before taxes and deductions for every household member. The numbers should line up with your pay stubs and tax documents. If anyone’s situation has changed recently, such as a job loss, raise, or new position, report the current reality rather than what the last tax return shows. The state verifies income electronically against its own records when possible, so mismatches will trigger a request for more documentation.

Health Status and Medical Bills

You will answer whether anyone applying is pregnant or has a disability. Pregnancy matters because pregnant applicants qualify at higher income thresholds, so accurate answers here can change which category you fall into. The form also asks about recent unpaid medical bills, which matters for retroactive coverage (see below).

Designating Someone to Handle It for You

If you want someone else to manage the application and talk to the state on your behalf, you can name an authorized representative using a separate Designation of Authorized Representative form, signed by you and the representative and witnessed.⁵ Once that is in place, state correspondence goes to the representative instead of to you. You can revoke the designation at any time in writing.

How to Submit It

You have four ways to get the application to NJ FamilyCare:

Online at the NJ FamilyCare portal (dmahs-nj.my.site.com/familycare/quickstart). This is the fastest option, and you complete a digital signature during the final review step.⁶
By mail to NJ FamilyCare, PO Box 8367, Trenton, NJ 08650-9802. Certified mail creates a record of delivery.⁴
By fax to 609-631-6323.
In person at your local County Board of Social Services. You can also call 1-800-701-0710 (TTY: 711) to find application counselors in your area.

Sign the application before you send it. An unsigned paper application will be returned to you without any review.⁴

After You Submit

Processing currently takes about 30 to 45 days.² A caseworker reviews your file and verifies income and identity against state and federal databases. If anything is missing or inconsistent, you will get a letter requesting more documents. Respond quickly, because the clock pauses on your side of any back-and-forth.

If you need medical care while the application is pending, ask the hospital or provider about presumptive eligibility. Participating providers can make a preliminary determination that grants temporary coverage for services they deliver until the state issues a final decision.

When the review wraps up, a determination letter arrives in the mail that either approves or denies coverage. An approval letter spells out your effective date and plan category. If you set up an online NJ FamilyCare account during the process, you can check status there too.²

If you had unpaid medical bills in the three months before you applied and would have been eligible then, mention those bills on your application. Adults placed on Plan A (standard Medicaid) can receive retroactive coverage going back up to three months, as long as the eligibility criteria were met during that period.⁷ Retroactive coverage is not available for children covered under Plans B, C, or D.

Two Things to Know Before You Enroll

Applicants aged 55 and older should be aware that New Jersey can seek repayment from a deceased beneficiary’s estate for Medicaid benefits correctly paid, with exceptions when the beneficiary is survived by a spouse, a child under 21, or a child of any age who is blind or permanently disabled, and when the estate is small enough to fall under the state’s thresholds.⁸ This matters most for older applicants and those seeking long-term care services.

NJ FamilyCare has also announced that eligibility rules will change starting in Fall 2026, though the specifics have not been fully detailed.¹ If you are applying now, use the current rules described above and watch the NJ FamilyCare website or call 1-800-701-0710 for updates.

1
NJ FamilyCare. NJ FamilyCare
2
State of New Jersey. Cover All Kids – Apply for NJ FamilyCare
3
NJ FamilyCare. NJ FamilyCare – Who Is Eligible?
4
New Jersey FamilyCare. NJ FamilyCare Medicaid Application
5
State of New Jersey. Designation of Authorized Representative Form
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NJ FamilyCare. NJ FamilyCare – Apply for NJ FamilyCare
7
Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Administrative Code 10:79-2.6 – Retroactive Eligibility-Plan A Only
8
Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Administrative Code 10:49-14.1 – Recovery of Payments Correctly Made