To qualify for Medicaid in Georgia, you have to fit into one of the state’s defined eligibility groups and meet the income limit set for that group. Georgia has not adopted full Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, so low income on its own is not enough. The main groups are children under 19, pregnant women, parents or caretaker relatives of a minor child, adults 65 and older, people who are legally blind or permanently disabled, uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, and certain working adults aged 19 to 64 who enroll through Georgia Pathways to Coverage.
Who Fits Into an Eligibility Group
Before the state looks at your income, it looks at your situation. If you do not belong to one of the categories below, you will not qualify for traditional Georgia Medicaid regardless of how little you earn.
Children and Pregnant Women
Right from the Start Medicaid covers children from birth through the month of their 19th birthday and pregnant women through labor, delivery, and 60 days after giving birth.1Georgia Department of Human Services. Right from the Start Medicaid (RSM) Younger children qualify at higher income thresholds than older children, and pregnant women qualify at relatively higher levels than most other adults.2Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services. Right from the Start Medical Assistance Group
Parents and Caretaker Relatives
If you are a parent or a relative responsible for the daily care of a child under 19, you may qualify under Georgia’s Low Income Medicaid category.2Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services. Right from the Start Medical Assistance Group The income limit here is much lower than for children or pregnant women, which is why many parents of Medicaid-eligible kids do not qualify themselves.
Adults 65 or Older, Blind, or Disabled
Georgia’s Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicaid program covers people who are 65 or older, legally blind, or totally disabled.3Georgia Department of Family and Children Services. Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid (ABD) – Georgia This category contains 19 different coverage classes and uses different financial rules than family Medicaid, including a limit on the value of what you own. Disability or blindness is verified through Social Security Administration records or a state medical evaluation.
Women Diagnosed With Breast or Cervical Cancer
Uninsured women under 65 who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer may qualify for Medicaid treatment coverage if their household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.4Georgia Medicaid. Eligibility FAQs You start the application by contacting the county health department where you live.
Working Adults 19 to 64 Through Pathways
Georgia Pathways to Coverage is the state’s option for low-income adults aged 19 through 64 who do not fit any traditional Medicaid category. Household income must be at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level.5State of Georgia. Eligibility – Georgia Pathways to Coverage You also have to complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities and report them through the state portal.6State of Georgia. About Pathways Qualifying activities include:
- Unsubsidized employment
- Full-time enrollment in higher education or vocational education
- Job training programs
- Documented community service
- Active participation in the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency program
There are no blanket exemptions from the 80-hour requirement.7Medicaid.gov. Georgia Pathways to Coverage Special Terms and Conditions Members who are enrolled full-time in higher education or vocational programs or actively engaged in the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency program are treated as meeting the requirement automatically and do not have to report hours each month. If a disability prevents you from meeting the standard requirement, the state must offer reasonable accommodations. If a hospitalization, serious illness, family emergency, domestic violence situation, natural disaster, or temporary homelessness keeps you from meeting it for a stretch, you can request a good cause exception for up to 120 hours during a 12-month benefit year.
How Georgia Measures Your Income
For children, pregnant women, parents, and caretaker relatives, Georgia uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income.8Georgia.gov. Medicaid Eligibility MAGI follows federal tax rules: it looks at taxable income and tax filing relationships, not gross pay or the value of your belongings. Everyone in a MAGI-based group has to prove monthly family income.
Income limits are set as a percentage of the federal poverty level, which is updated each year. The 2026 federal poverty guidelines are:
- 1 person: $15,960 per year
- 2 people: $21,640 per year
- 3 people: $27,320 per year
- 4 people: $33,000 per year
- Each additional person: add $5,680
Those figures are 100 percent of the FPL.9Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Georgia then sets its Medicaid cutoff for each group as a percentage of them. Pregnant women and infants qualify at the highest percentages, followed by younger children, then older children. Parents and caretaker relatives qualify only at the lowest percentage. Because the percentages differ by group and shift when the state updates its policy manual, check your specific limit through the Georgia Gateway portal or your local Division of Family and Children Services office.
For Pathways, the 100 percent FPL cutoff works out to $15,960 per year for one person or $27,320 per year for a family of three based on the 2026 numbers.9Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
Asset Limits for Older, Blind, or Disabled Applicants
The MAGI-based categories only look at income. Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicaid also limits what you own. For the main SSI-related coverage, countable assets cannot exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.10Policy and Manual Management System. Appendix A1 ABD Financial Limits 2025 Countable assets include cash, bank accounts, and property beyond your primary home. Your home and one vehicle are generally excluded.
If Your Income Is Too High
A few programs give you a path forward when regular Medicaid income limits put you out of reach.
PeachCare for Kids
PeachCare for Kids is Georgia’s Children’s Health Insurance Program for children under 19 whose families earn too much for standard Medicaid but cannot afford private coverage. Household income has to be at or below 247 percent of the federal poverty level.11Georgia Department of Community Health. Eligibility Criteria For a family of four in 2026, that works out to roughly $81,510 per year. PeachCare may charge a monthly premium depending on household income.
Spend-Down and Qualified Income Trusts
If your income exceeds the ABD limits, Georgia’s Adult Medically Needy program may still cover you. The spend-down lets you subtract qualifying medical expenses from your income until it drops to the state’s medically needy level. Coverage begins once your bills reduce your countable income below the threshold, and Medicaid pays only for bills incurred after the spend-down is met.
For long-term care Medicaid, applicants whose monthly income exceeds the institutional care income cap can place income into a Qualified Income Trust, sometimes called a Miller Trust. The trust removes that income from the Medicaid eligibility calculation. Only incoming income such as pensions, Social Security, or VA benefits can be deposited; you cannot shift existing savings into it. Any funds left in the trust at your death go to the Georgia Department of Community Health up to the total paid for your care.
Residency and Citizenship
You have to live in Georgia and intend to make it your permanent home.8Georgia.gov. Medicaid Eligibility U.S. citizens and nationals receive full benefits immediately on approval. Non-citizens classified as qualified aliens, such as lawful permanent residents, may qualify, but most have to complete a five-year wait after obtaining legal status.12HealthCare.gov. Health Coverage for Lawfully Present Immigrants Refugees, asylees, and lawful permanent residents who previously held refugee or asylee status do not have to wait.
Where to Apply and What to Bring
Most people apply through the Georgia Gateway online portal, which lets you file, track status, and manage benefits across state programs.13Georgia Medicaid. How to Apply You can also submit a paper application at your local DFCS office or by mail. Pathways has its own separate portal.
You will need to verify income, citizenship, and identity. Common accepted documents include:14Georgia Access Help. Required Documents to Verify Information Included on Your Application
- Pay stubs from the four weeks before the date on your notice, a W-2 or 1099, a recent federal tax return, or a signed employer statement showing gross pay
- For self-employment: a Schedule C, a recent profit-and-loss statement, a self-employment ledger, or bookkeeping records
- For Social Security: an award letter dated within the last year, an annual benefit statement, or SSA correspondence
- For other income: court orders showing alimony, pension distribution statements, rental payment receipts, or unemployment award letters from the Georgia Department of Labor
- For citizenship: a U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship on its own, or a U.S. birth certificate paired with another form of identification
Federal rules give the state 45 days to decide MAGI-based applications and 90 days to decide disability-based applications.15Medicaid.gov. Medicaid and CHIP Determinations at Application A denial notice will explain the reason and your appeal rights.