Wyoming Medicaid Income Limits 2026: Kid Care CHIP

For a side-by-side look at other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

Wyoming Medicaid Income Limits by Household Size (2026)

WDH states 4 income lines for children and pregnancy as percentages of the federal poverty level (FPL), and it doesn't post a current dollar chart for the Medicaid groups. The table converts those percentages with the 2026 HHS guideline. The Kid Care column uses WDH's own 200% yearly figures from its March 2026 chart, divided by 12.

Sources: percentages from WDH's Programs and Eligibility page (opens in a new tab) and 2026 Healthcare Coverage Options chart (opens in a new tab) (March 2026). Monthly figures are Grantsights calculations from the 2026 HHS guideline ($15,960 for one person plus $5,680 per additional person), rounded to the nearest dollar. A pregnant woman is always at least a household of two because the unborn baby counts. WDH's decision governs.

About the 5% disregard: federal MAGI rules let the state subtract 5% of poverty when that's the difference between qualifying and not, so the working lines are effectively 159%, 138% and 205%. For a family of three, that's about $114 a month more room.

Parents and caretakers: Family Care

Family Care is Wyoming's Medicaid group for parents and caretaker relatives of a child under 18, and WDH ties it to the 1996 AFDC standard rather than to a poverty percentage. WDH's 2026 coverage chart estimates the line at about 46% of poverty for a family of four and calls that estimate "illustrative only." As an illustration, 46% of the 2026 guideline for four is about $1,265 a month; it isn't a published WDH figure, so apply rather than rule yourself out.

What the federal table says

Wyoming's row in the Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (opens in a new tab), frozen at state decisions as of December 1, 2023, shows 200% for children of every age, "N/A" for separate CHIP, 154% for pregnancy, 45% for parents (a dollar standard converted to a percentage) and "No" for expansion. WDH's own pages split children into Medicaid at 154% or 133% and Kid Care CHIP up to 200%, so use the WDH lines when you apply.

How Wyoming Counts Income for Medicaid and Kid Care

200% is the top line for any child in Wyoming, and every child, parent and pregnancy group under it uses MAGI rules (Modified Adjusted Gross Income), which follow federal tax concepts:

• Gross income, not take-home pay. The Kid Care page lists "Monthly Income" by family size, and WDH's 2026 chart is built from annual household income.
• Tax households set the family size. Parents and the children they claim count together, and a pregnant woman counts the baby she's expecting.
• Kid Care requires no other insurance. A child can't have had insurance for the past 30 days or longer, with some exceptions, and can't carry extra coverage while enrolled. Indian Health Service and school sports insurance don't count against a child.
• State employee dependents are excluded from Kid Care. Children eligible for Wyoming's Employees' Group Insurance, including some school district, University of Wyoming and community college employees, can't get Kid Care.
• Five-year rule for green card holders. WDH lists citizens and lawful permanent residents who've lived in the U.S. at least five years as eligible for most Wyoming Medicaid groups and Kid Care.

Aged, blind and disabled groups use SSI-based income and resource rules, next. Our federal poverty guidelines guide explains the 2026 numbers behind every percentage above.

Wyoming Medicaid for Seniors, Disability and Nursing Home Care

Nursing home Medicaid in Wyoming allows income up to 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, which is $2,982 a month in 2026 (3 times SSA's $994 rate), and the same cap applies to the Employed Individuals with Disabilities program. WDH lists these groups:

Source: WDH, Programs and Eligibility (opens in a new tab), checked November 3, 2026. The 300% figure is a Grantsights calculation from SSA's 2026 SSI rate (opens in a new tab).

What a nursing home resident pays. WDH calls it a "patient contribution": total income minus allowable deductions, paid to the facility. The deductions are $50 a month for personal needs, court-ordered child support, a spousal maintenance allowance, uncovered medical expenses, health insurance premiums and, for the first two months, the Medicare premium.

Look-back: the Wyoming Medicaid member handbook describes a five-year look-back for certain long-term care programs. Giving away or selling assets for less than fair market value during that period triggers a penalty period with no long-term care coverage.

WDH's page says resources must be within the "Maximum Resource Standard" but doesn't print the dollar figure, so confirm it with the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit before moving money. SSI rules themselves are covered in our SSI income limits guide and SSI benefits guide.

Kid Care CHIP Income Limits

Kid Care CHIP covers uninsured children under 19 whose family income is under 200% of poverty and who aren't eligible for Medicaid, according to the WDH Kid Care CHIP program page. WDH describes free preventive dental and health care, with small copays for other services.

The Kid Care eligibility page still showed these amounts when Grantsights checked on November 3, 2026:

Sources: WDH, Kid Care CHIP eligibility guidelines (opens in a new tab) (left column) and WDH's 2026 Healthcare Coverage Options chart (opens in a new tab) (right column, yearly 200% figures divided by 12).

The left column matches 200% of the 2025 poverty guidelines, so it's about a year behind. The page also says "Income requirements change annually" and asks families near the limit to apply anyway. If your income falls between the two columns, your best bet is to apply anyway: the 2026 line is the higher one.

Wyoming and Medicaid Expansion: The Adult Coverage Gap

Wyoming is one of 10 states without the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, according to KFF's Medicaid expansion tracker (opens in a new tab), a non-government compilation current to October 2026. WDH's 2026 coverage chart shows the result plainly: non-disabled adults have "No Coverage" from 0% to 99% of poverty, and Marketplace help starts at 100%.

Why is that a gap? The federal HealthCare.gov page on Medicaid expansion (opens in a new tab) gives the answer: premium tax credits start at 100% of poverty, so adults below that in a non-expansion state often get neither. In 2026, 100% of poverty is $15,960 a year ($1,330 a month) for one person and $27,320 ($2,277 a month) for three.

Grantsights calculation from the 2026 HHS guideline. In each case, the children can still qualify for Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP.

WDH's chart also sketches what expansion would look like: adults 19 to 64 covered to 138% of poverty, with parents above the Family Care line moving into the expansion group.

2026 and 2027 changes in Wyoming

WDH's announcements on its apply page (opens in a new tab) list three items:

1. Immigration policy changes effective October 1, 2026. People affected get a notice by mail with instructions.
2. Retroactive coverage limited to 2 months from January 1, 2027, down from the 3 months federal rules allowed before.
3. "Wyoming not impacted by work requirements." The federal community engagement rule applies to expansion adults, and Wyoming has none.

The member handbook says coverage is renewed every year, with renewal forms sent ahead of time. None of these changes move the income percentages above.

Worked Examples: Wyoming Families in 2026

For example, a family of three in Wyoming earning $3,300 a month, a mom in Casper with uninsured children aged 3 and 9, would see this:

1. The 3-year-old is under the 154% line of about $3,506, so she qualifies for Wyoming Medicaid.
2. The 9-year-old is over the 133% line of about $3,028. Specifically, even with the 5% disregard ($3,142), he's $158 over, so he moves to Kid Care CHIP, which reaches about $4,553.
3. Mom is far above Family Care. Her income is about 145% of the three-person poverty line, which puts her in range for a Marketplace premium tax credit.

A 45-year-old ranch hand in Cheyenne with no children and no disability earning $1,000 a month is in the coverage gap: no Medicaid group fits him, and he's under the $1,330 line where tax credits start. In an expansion state such as Colorado, the same income would qualify; see our Colorado Medicaid income limits guide.

One widow in Sheridan, 84, with $2,400 a month in income, needs nursing home care. She's under the $2,982 cap. If her resources fit the state standard, Medicaid pays the facility, she keeps $50 a month, and most of the rest goes to the home as her patient contribution.

What the Wyoming Department of Health Doesn't Tell You

Grantsights analysis of WDH's eligibility pages and its March 2026 coverage chart found 5 things the official pages leave unclear:

1. There's no current dollar chart for most Medicaid groups. WDH states percentages (154%, 133%, 200%) and leaves the math to you, and the one dollar chart it posts, for Kid Care, still reflects 2025 amounts.
2. The Kid Care page contradicts itself. It says a family of four "can earn up to $53,000," while its own chart shows $5,359 a month ($64,308 a year), and the add-on for each extra person appears as both $917 and $897. The 2026 figure for four is $66,000.
3. Turning 6 cuts a child's Medicaid line by about $478 for a family of three, from $3,506 to $3,028. An uninsured child who crosses that line should land on Kid Care rather than going uninsured.
4. The personal needs allowance is $50. That's what a Wyoming nursing home resident keeps each month for clothing, phone and personal items; North Dakota's is $115.
5. Some posted amounts are a year old. The tuberculosis program on the same page lists $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple, which were the 2025 SSI amounts, not the $994 and $1,491 that took effect January 1, 2026.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake is assuming the whole family is out because a parent earns too much. Wyoming's adult rules are tight, but a family of three earning $4,500 a month still has children under the 200% Kid Care line.

Other errors that cost Wyoming families coverage:

• Keeping a child on a private plan. Kid Care requires no other insurance, generally for 30 days before applying.
• Reading the Kid Care chart as final. The posted amounts were from 2025; WDH says to apply if you're close.
• Forgetting the unborn baby. A pregnant woman living alone is a household of two, with a line of about $2,777.
• Underestimating the 30-day appeal window. The handbook says late requests are denied.
• Waiting on long-term care paperwork. The five-year look-back means a gift to a relative can delay nursing home coverage.

Red flags for scams: WDH posts a scam alert saying Wyoming Medicaid and Kid Care CHIP "never charge or ask for money" to enroll or re-enroll. Don't share bank or card numbers with anyone who calls or texts about a renewal. Report requests for money to the Wyoming Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit at 307-777-8962 or 1-800-438-5799.

How to Apply for Wyoming Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP and How Long It Takes

WDH says it can take up to 45 days to process an application, on its Apply for Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP page (opens in a new tab). One application checks every Medicaid and Kid Care program you might fit.

1. Online: through the Wyoming Eligibility System (WES) portal linked from the apply page, where you can also renew.
2. By phone: 1-855-294-2127, TTY/TDD 1-855-329-5204.
3. On paper: the February 2026 Application for Health Coverage, returned in person or by mail to the WDH Customer Service Center, 3001 E. Pershing Blvd., Suite 125, Cheyenne, WY 82001, by fax to 1-855-329-5205, or by email to wesapplications@wyo.gov.
4. Pregnant? Presumptive eligibility at a local Public Health Nursing office gives up to 60 days of outpatient care while your full application is processed.
5. Long-term care? The Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936 handles financial eligibility for nursing homes and waivers; an interview may be needed for blind or disabled programs.

Report changes within 10 business days, and watch for renewal texts and mail once a year.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 30 days to request an administrative hearing, and the Wyoming Medicaid member handbook for adults (opens in a new tab) says requests outside that window will be denied.

• Follow the notice. The steps are printed on the back of the denial, change or termination notice.
• Send it any way that works: mail, email, fax or phone.
• You can bring someone. A lawyer, relative or friend can represent you, though Medicaid won't pay legal costs.
• Check the percentage WDH used. A child counted as 6 to 18 instead of under 6, or a missing unborn baby, changes the line.
• Reapply after a change. A pregnancy, a disability determination or a drop in income can change the answer.

If You're Over the Wyoming Medicaid Limit

$15,960 to $63,840 a year is the 2026 Marketplace subsidy range for one person, and WDH's coverage chart notes that subsidies and tax credits are available under 401% of poverty. Your options:

• Marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab). WDH's chart lists a 2026 lowest-price gold premium of $960 a month for a 40-year-old at 400% of poverty, before any tax credit.
• Kid Care CHIP for uninsured children up to 200%, even when the parents don't qualify.
• Medicare Savings Programs once you have Medicare, up to 135% of poverty.
• WIC for pregnant women and children under 5; see our WIC income limits guide.
• Food and heating help: our SNAP income limits guide and LIHEAP income limits guide.
• Aging relatives and people with disabilities in Wyoming: see the help for seniors programs guide and the disability grants for individuals guide.
• Neighbors: compare our Montana and South Dakota Medicaid income limits guides.

Need help finding other programs? Grantsights' free eligibility checker lists official places to look for food, rent and utility help. It doesn't decide Wyoming Medicaid eligibility or submit an application; WDH does.

When These Limits Change Next

Wyoming's poverty-based lines move after HHS publishes new guidelines each January, and WDH's March 2026 chart already uses the 2026 numbers: $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for four, plus $5,680 per person, according to the HHS ASPE 2026 poverty guidelines data (opens in a new tab). WDH doesn't publish a fixed switch date.

The nursing home cap follows the SSI rate each January 1. SSA's SSI payment amounts page (opens in a new tab) lists $1,029 for one person in 2027, so 300% rises to about $3,087 a month (Grantsights calculation).

FAQ: Wyoming Medicaid Income Limits

What is the income limit for Medicaid in Wyoming in 2026?

Children under 6 and pregnant women qualify up to 154% of poverty (about $3,506 a month for three), children 6 to 18 up to 133% (about $3,028), and Kid Care CHIP covers uninsured kids to 200% ($54,640 a year for three). Adults without children or a disability generally can't qualify.

Did Wyoming expand Medicaid?

No. Wyoming is one of 10 non-expansion states as of October 2026, and WDH's chart shows no Medicaid coverage for non-disabled adults without children.

What is the Kid Care CHIP income limit in Wyoming?

200% of poverty: $54,640 a year for three and $66,000 for four in 2026. The Kid Care page itself still showed 2025 amounts.

What is the Wyoming Medicaid income limit for pregnant women?

154% of poverty, about $2,777 a month for two and $3,506 for three, counting the unborn baby. Coverage lasts up to 12 months after the pregnancy.

What is the income limit for nursing home Medicaid in Wyoming?

$2,982 a month in 2026 (300% of the SSI rate). A resident keeps $50 a month for personal needs.

Does Wyoming have Medicaid work requirements?

No. WDH says Wyoming isn't affected because the rule applies to expansion adults.

How long do I have to appeal a Wyoming Medicaid denial?

30 days. Late requests are denied, according to the member handbook.

When do Wyoming Medicaid income limits change?

After the HHS guidelines each January, and each January 1 for the SSI-based nursing home cap, which rises to about $3,087 in 2027.

Sources

1. Wyoming Department of Health: Programs and Eligibility (opens in a new tab) - children, pregnancy, Family Care, institutional, MSP, EID, BCCT and TB rules; checked November 3, 2026
2. Wyoming Department of Health: Healthcare Coverage Options in Wyoming 2026 (opens in a new tab), March 2026 - FPL bands and 2026 poverty dollar chart
3. Wyoming Department of Health: Kid Care CHIP eligibility guidelines (opens in a new tab)
4. Wyoming Department of Health: Apply for Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP (opens in a new tab) - processing time, scam alert and announcements on October 1, 2026, January 1, 2027 and work requirements
5. Wyoming Medicaid Member Handbook for Adults (opens in a new tab), January 2025 - administrative hearings, look-back, application processing
6. Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (December 2023 data), used here for Wyoming (opens in a new tab), as of December 1, 2023
7. KFF: Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions (opens in a new tab) (non-government compilation), October 2026
8. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
9. SSA: SSI Federal Payment Amounts (opens in a new tab) - 2026 and 2027 amounts
10. HealthCare.gov: Medicaid expansion and you (opens in a new tab)