North Dakota program
Health insurance for an adult caregiver
North Dakota Medicaid health insurance for adults ages 19 to 64.
What it is
North Dakota Medicaid health insurance for adults ages 19 to 64.
Your own coverage matters while you care for your child. Adults are judged on this month's income against a lower line than children. Add yourself to the same application.
Eligibility rules
- Adults must be 19–64 and live in North Dakota.
- From April 1, 2026, the 138% poverty monthly line is $3,795 for four, $3,142 for three and $2,489 for two. The five-point allowance is included.
- A relative caregiver can have their own coverage route. The zone checks that adult’s age, household, income and current coverage, including any caretaker-relative or expansion category.
What you get
- Adult health coverage with no premium.
What the help includes
- Expansion coverage runs through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.
If you decide to apply
- Discuss adult coverage with your hospital social worker. If you decide to pursue it, they can help with the next step.
- Have current pay for each adult and your North Dakota address ready.
866-614-6005 — Your human service zone office · Official page ↗
After you ask
- A decision is due within 45 days. If the Blue Cross expansion plan later says no to something, you have 60 days to appeal to the plan and then 120 days to ask for a state hearing; asking within 10 days of a notice keeps a service running meanwhile.
- If you decide to proceed, ask the human service zone to include parents who want coverage on the family application.
Good to know
Your child being approved does not cover you. Each adult is checked on the lower adult line.
Other details
- North Dakota has announced work or community-engagement requirements for some Medicaid Expansion adults from January 1, 2027, along with six-month eligibility reviews for many expansion members. Exemptions include qualifying care for a child age 13 or younger or a person with a disability, but the agency must determine which adult qualifies and what proof it needs. The child’s diagnosis or a household answer does not automatically document a parent’s exemption. The social worker and zone can discuss care records and the renewal notice; the child’s Medicaid rules are separate.
Official sources
- North Dakota Health and Human Services: Medicaid Expansion
- North Dakota Health and Human Services: Medicaid Eligibility
- North Dakota Health and Human Services: Stay Enrolled
- North Dakota Health and Human Services: 2026 External Quality Review annual technical report
- Official source reviewed September 21, 2026 (AQ4)
- Official source reviewed September 21, 2026 (AQ4)
- Official source reviewed September 21, 2026 (AQ4)
“Could I qualify for Medicaid as well as our child? What would change for my current care or insurance, and could you help me apply if it fits?”
Why I’m asking: I need to keep my own health care covered while caring for my child.
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 child’s application and report this month’s income.
Your social worker
The zone office decides both at once.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- Your human service zone office.
- Ask the agency
- “Please look at the parents on this application too, using this month’s income.”
How to apply
First step: Add the parents to the same application on the Self-Service Portal.
- Add the parents to the same application as the child.
- If a paycheck has just stopped, say so; it is this month’s income that counts.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: The same application as the child: the Self-Service Portal or 866-614-6005.
What to gather
- This month’s pay for each adult
- Your North Dakota address
How long: The same 45-day Medicaid decision standard.
What a yes looks like
A notice and a card through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Usually income. If a paycheck has since stopped, reapply on the new figure.
Watch out
- A parent who only applies for the child is often never asked about their own cover.
Dates that change this
2027-01-01: From January 1, 2027 adults on Expansion must work, volunteer, study or train for 80 hours a month. North Dakota publishes exemptions for parents and carers of a child 13 or under, and for carers of a person with a disability. This does not touch children’s cover.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Medicaid for a parent aged 19 to 64, up to $3,795 a month for four.
- $3,795/month — Household of 4, published line (138% of poverty)
- $3,142/month — Household of 3, published line
- $2,489/month — Household of 2, published line
Covers: Full adult Medicaid cover through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
What it costs the family: No premium.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Age
- 19 to 64
- Income
- 138% of poverty, with the five-point allowance already inside the printed dollars
- Residency
- North Dakota
The trap: Put it on the same application as the child’s. A parent who applies only for the child often never gets asked about their own cover.
Where I read this
- Medicaid Expansion — North Dakota Health and Human Services, read September 10, 2026
- Medicaid Eligibility — North Dakota Health and Human Services, read September 10, 2026
- Stay Enrolled — North Dakota Health and Human Services, read September 10, 2026
- 2026 External Quality Review annual technical report — North Dakota Health and Human Services, read September 10, 2026