All states Wyoming
Wyoming Medicaid: who qualifies
Wyoming Medicaid is run by Wyoming Department of Health, Division of Healthcare Financing. Children are covered through Medicaid for children (no separate state brand name), with Kid Care CHIP just above that. Wyoming never expanded Medicaid, so who qualifies here is far narrower than most people expect.
The income limit is far lower than almost anyone expects
a month — the most a parent in a family of three can earn and still get Wyoming Medicaid
That is roughly 39% (self-calculated from the 2025 FPL of $26,650 for a family of three; the state publishes a dollar figure, not a percentage, because this 'Family Care' standard derives from pre-ACA 1996 AFDC rules rather than MAGI) of the federal poverty line.
For comparison, the states that expanded Medicaid cover adults up to 138% of that same line. Wyoming did not expand, so its limit stays where state law set it — and a parent earning more than $873 a month is over it.
The rule here: Must have a dependent child under 18 in the home who is deprived of parental support through death, absence, incapacity or unemployment of a parent, and must cooperate with child support enforcement.
Not a single frozen figure like Texas - the dollar standard is fixed by the state rather than tied to a percentage of the federal poverty level, and is updated periodically (most recently effective April 1, 2026), not automatically each year the way MAGI-based limits are.
Source: Wyoming Department of Health, Medicaid Income Requirements table and Eligibility Online Manual (EOM) Table 1 - Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standard, effective April 1, 2026.
Children can qualify even when their parents can't. The limit for a child here is several times the limit for that child's parent, so it is entirely normal for a family to end up with the kids covered and the adults not. If that is your household, apply for the children anyway — it costs nothing to try, and they may be eligible today.
8,000 people here earn too much for Medicaid and too little for help buying a plan
They sit above Wyoming's very low Medicaid limit but below the poverty line, which is where federal help with premiums begins. There is nothing in between. This is the Smallest coverage gap, in absolute numbers, of any non-expansion state - but Wyoming is also the least populous state, so a small number does not mean a small share of the state's population.
Figures from CBPP, March 2026 estimate. Credible estimates for Wyoming range from 8,000 to 11,000 depending on the survey year used; we quote the most recent.
What changes in Wyoming on January 1, 2027
P.L. 119-21 §71112, amending 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(34). Applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027.
What the marketplace can and cannot do for you
The standard advice is “try the marketplace.” For some people here that is good advice. For others it is simply untrue, and it matters a great deal which one you are.
The marketplace is not an expensive option. It is not an option.
Help with premiums starts at the poverty line. Below it there is no subsidy at all, at any price. That is what makes this a gap rather than a cost problem.
It works this way because the law assumed every state would extend Medicaid up to that line, and Wyoming did not. What is left for you:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) — sliding-scale fees based on income, with sites across Wyoming including Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Rock Springs and Riverton
- Hospital financial assistance / charity care programs — every Wyoming hospital that receives federal funding is required to offer one; ask the hospital's billing office directly
- County public health nursing offices — offer low-cost or sliding-scale immunizations, screenings and some primary care across Wyoming's counties
You can buy a plan, but it costs more than it did last year.
The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025. Smaller credits still exist for household incomes between 100% and 400% of the poverty line, but the share you pay yourself went up.
Insurers raised rates an average of 25.9% for 2026 before subsidies are applied.
Source: ACA Signups (acasignups.net), compiling SERFF/CMS rate-review filings, updated Nov 2, 2025.
Do this now
Applying is free and you can do it any time of year — Medicaid has no open-enrollment window. If you are not sure whether you qualify, apply anyway and let the state work it out. Deciding for yourself that you don't qualify is the most common way people miss coverage they were entitled to.
About the phone numbers: Do not call (307) 777-7531 to apply or check a case - it reaches the Division's general office, not the Customer Service Center that handles applications. Processing an application can take up to 45 days per the state's own apply page.
If nothing else has worked: Wyoming does not have a separate, dedicated Medicaid ombudsman office. Billing problems and travel-assistance disputes go through Member Services at 1-855-294-2127 (select the billing/travel option); eligibility denials are appealed through the Office of Administrative Hearings, with instructions printed on the denial notice.
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired: (855) 329-5205 (TTY/TDD) or dial 7-1-1.
Wyoming Medicaid provides free interpreter and translation services in any language you need - this is a right under federal civil rights law, not something a caseworker can refuse. Call the Customer Service Center at 1-855-294-2127 and ask for an interpreter, or request one when you arrive for an appointment. For the hearing-impaired, dial 7-1-1 for Wyoming's relay service.
Most people who lose coverage lose it over paperwork, not eligibility
Nationally, most people who lose Medicaid lose it over paperwork rather than because they stopped qualifying — a form, a deadline, or an address the state no longer has. Which means the letter is usually the thing that decides it.
NOTICE OF ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
Case number: ███████
Date of this notice: 1January 12, 2027
Based on the information available to us, your household is no longer eligible for Wyoming Medicaid.
2If you believe this determination is incorrect, you may request a fair hearing on or before February 11, 2027.
3Coverage for other members of your household may continue. A separate notice is enclosed for each person.
What the federal data says about coverage here
Public federal data describes how each state runs its program. Almost all of it is written for policy analysts. Here is what three of those numbers mean if you are the person enrolled.
Among the highest in the country. A notice that looks wrong may well be wrong — appeal it.
Quintile 5 of 5.
Doctors are scarce here by national standards. Nurse practitioners also need physician supervision in this state, which narrows your options further.
Book an appointment before you need one, not when you do.
362 people in Wyoming are on a waiting list for home and community-based services. If you need long-term care at home rather than in a facility, get your name on the list as early as you can — the wait is measured in years, and it starts when you apply, not when you need it.
Questions people ask about this
Does the new Medicaid work requirement apply in Wyoming?
Can an adult with no children get Medicaid in Wyoming?
What is the income limit for parents on Wyoming Medicaid?
Can my children qualify if I don't?
What changes on January 1, 2027 in Wyoming?
How do I apply for Wyoming Medicaid?
How do I renew Wyoming Medicaid?
Guides for neighboring states
The rules change completely at the state line. If you moved recently, or you're helping family somewhere else, start with their state rather than this one.
If you're a parent applying for yourself (not just your kids), know that Wyoming's income limit is extremely low - about $873 a month for a family of three, among the lowest in the country - and that if you have no dependent children at home, there is no income-based path to Wyoming Medicaid at all unless you are aged, blind, or disabled.
If you do qualify and already have unpaid medical bills, apply now rather than waiting until January: starting January 1, 2027, Wyoming will only back-date your coverage two months instead of three.
Applying costs nothing and takes about twenty minutes. If you are anywhere near the line, let the state decide rather than deciding for them.
Apply at wesystem.wyo.gov (Wyoming Eligibility System) →