Delaware program
Health coverage for you (Delaware adult Medicaid)
Delaware Medicaid can cover a parent aged 19 to 64 when current income fits.
What it is
Delaware Medicaid can cover a parent aged 19 to 64 when current income fits.
A drop in this month's pay can open adult Medicaid for you. Your child being approved does not cover you; the adult line is checked separately on the same application.
Eligibility rules
- You must live in Delaware and be aged 19 to 64 for the expansion group.
- The published 2026 base limit is 133% of poverty: $2,398 monthly for two, $3,028 for three, $3,658 for four and $4,287 for five.
What you get
- Health coverage for the parent as well as a separate review for the child.
What the help includes
- Your approval gives you your own health coverage and plan choice.
- The 2026 plan handbook lists adult prescription copays of $0.50 to $3, capped at $15 a month, with exemptions. Your plan confirms whether an exemption applies.
If you decide to apply
- Ask the social worker whether your own coverage should be reviewed alongside your child’s.
- Have current pay stubs or the notice that pay stopped, your address and Social Security number ready.
Delaware Medicaid and ASSIST · 1-866-843-7212 · Official page ↗
What happens next
- The Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance checks your income and household.
Good to know
The income test uses the current month. A tax return may not describe what you receive now.
Other details
- From January 2027 adults face work or activity rules; caring for a child 13 or younger or for a disabled person is an exception. Ask how caring for an older child with cancer is treated. (one bullet)
Official sources
“Could I qualify for Medicaid too? What are the benefits and drawbacks for my own coverage, and could you help include me if applying makes sense?”
Why I’m asking: I want to know whether a change in pay affects my own health insurance.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Add yourself to the same application and report this month’s income, not last year’s.
Your social worker
The social worker can add the parents to the child’s application.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance.
- Ask your social worker
- “One of us has stopped work. Can we be added to the same application for adult Medicaid this month?”
How to apply
First step: Add the parents to the same ASSIST application the month income drops.
- Add the parents to the same ASSIST application the month income drops.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: The same ASSIST application as the child’s.
What to gather
- This month’s pay stubs or the notice that pay stopped
- Delaware address
- Social Security numbers
How long: The ordinary decision standard is 45 days, or 90 days for a disability-based decision, with limited delay exceptions.
What a yes looks like
A card and a health plan for the parent as well as the child.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Income over the line. Apply again the month it falls.
Watch out
- Judged on this month, so apply the month the pay stops rather than waiting for a tax return.
- From January 1, 2027, ENGAGE includes exemptions for caring for a child aged 13 or younger or a disabled person. Medicaid confirms eligibility and reporting for the exemption.
Dates that change this
2027-01-01: Delaware publishes January 1, 2027 as the start of work and community engagement rules for adults in the expansion group. It lists an exemption for a parent or carer of a child aged 13 or younger, or a carer of a person with a disability, and a temporary hardship for travelling outside your community for care in the last 12 months. Report your situation rather than assuming it applies.
2026-01-01: Delaware publishes the 133 percent base column. The disregard-inclusive column was not published, so the state’s own count can come out slightly higher than the figure shown.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Medicaid for eligible parents and adults. Published 2026 base monthly amounts include $3,028 for three people and $3,658 for four; an applicable five-point disregard can extend the limit. Adult prescription copays and exemptions differ from child coverage.
- $2,398/month — Income line, household of 2
- $3,028/month — Income line, household of 3
- $3,658/month — Income line, household of 4
- $4,287/month — Income line, household of 5
Covers: Doctor and hospital care for the parent · Prescriptions · Mental health care
What it costs the family: No premium.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Age
- 19 to 64
- Income
- The adult published base is 133% of poverty, with the five-percentage-point MAGI disregard when applicable. Medicaid confirms household composition and income.
- Residency
- Delaware
The trap: Waiting for the tax return. Delaware looks at this month, so apply the month the income drops, not next April.
Where I read this
- DHSS — Medicaid ENGAGE — Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance, read September 10, 2026
- DHSS — Medicaid Income Limits (2026 tables) — Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance, read September 10, 2026