YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyMore former foster youth could get Medicaid until 26 — including those who left care to live with relatives
Your Money
Today, youth who age out of foster care get Medicaid until 26 only if they were on Medicaid while in care. The bill would drop that rule for youth who turn 18 in 2027 or later.
Youth who left foster care at any age to live with a relative as their legal guardian could get Medicaid until 26. This would apply whether or not the relative gets guardianship payments.
Youth who were legally made adults before 18 while in foster care could get Medicaid until 26. Today, they must still be in care at 18 to qualify.
Each state would have to start a program by January 1, 2027, to help former foster youth sign up for Medicaid. The state's Medicaid and child welfare offices would work together on it.
More about this bill
More young people leaving foster care could get Medicaid (health coverage for people with low incomes) until age 26. Today, this coverage goes to youth who were in foster care at 18 and were on Medicaid while in care. The bill would drop the rule that they were on Medicaid while in care. It would also cover youth who left foster care at any age to live with a relative who became their legal guardian. Youth who were emancipated (legally made adults) before 18 while in care would count too. The change would start January 1, 2027. It would apply only to youth who turn 18 on or after that date. By that same date, each state would have to start a program to help these youth sign up for Medicaid.
Congressional Summary
Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act This bill modifies provisions relating to the coverage of former foster youths under Medicaid. Under current law, a state Medicaid program must cover former foster youths until the age of 26 if the youths were in a state's foster care system at the age of 18 and were enrolled in a state's Medicaid program while in foster care. The bill requires state Medicaid programs to also cover former foster youths who were placed in a legal guardianship with a kinship caregiver or were emancipated from foster care before the age of 18. The bill repeals the provision that requires former foster youths to have been enrolled in a state Medicaid program while in foster care in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage until the age of 26. The bill also requires states to establish Medicaid outreach and enrollment programs for former foster youths.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-10-01
- Date Added
- 2026-10-17
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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