CHIP in Massachusetts
Massachusetts at a glance
Massachusetts is home to about 1,271,206 foreign-born residents (18.0% of the state’s 7,044,056 people) and 936,853 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin (13.3%), per the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates). The procedures below apply to everyone in Massachusetts regardless of immigration status unless noted.
In Massachusetts there is no separate “CHIP” card. Children’s health coverage runs through MassHealth — the state’s combined Medicaid/CHIP program — and the Children’s Medical Security Plan (CMSP). You apply through the Massachusetts Health Connector or MassHealth, not healthcare.gov.
How Massachusetts covers children
- MassHealth (Standard, Family Assistance, CommonHealth) — Medicaid + CHIP for income-eligible children. Massachusetts adopted the CHIPRA option, so lawfully-present children skip the 5-year waiting bar — a child with a new green card can qualify without waiting.
- Children’s Medical Security Plan (CMSP) — for Massachusetts children under age 19 at any income level who do not qualify for other MassHealth coverage (other than MassHealth Limited). CMSP covers primary and preventive care, dental, vision, and behavioral health with no or low cost-sharing, regardless of immigration status.
- Massachusetts uses state funds to provide comprehensive coverage to income-eligible children and young adults under 21, including undocumented children.
CHIP/MassHealth income limits for children (verified data)
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) — CHIP data by state
Verified on: 2026-05-25
| Child age | Medicaid (% FPL) |
|---|---|
| Infants 0-1 year | up to 205% FPL |
| Children 1-5 years | up to 155% FPL |
| Children 6-18 years | up to 155% FPL |
CHIP upper income limit in Massachusetts: 305% of FPL — children above the Medicaid lines but under this limit qualify for CHIP-funded MassHealth. Children who do not qualify for any MassHealth coverage can still enroll in CMSP at any income.
CHIP-funded prenatal coverage (conception to end of pregnancy): up to 205% of FPL.
How to apply in Massachusetts
- Apply through the Massachusetts Health Connector or MassHealth — one application checks your child for MassHealth, CMSP, and subsidized Health Connector plans. (Massachusetts runs its own marketplace, so do not use healthcare.gov.)
- Get free help in person at a Health Connector Walk-In Center (help is free for people of any income), or by phone at 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).
- Provide Social Security numbers only for the household members who have them and are applying, plus income information (pay stubs or wage statements).
What it covers
Doctor visits (preventive and sick care), vaccines, hospitalization, dental, vision, prescriptions, and behavioral (mental) health — comparable to Medicaid for children.
Related
- CHIP federal — general rules
- MassHealth / Medicaid in Massachusetts
- SNAP in Massachusetts
- Federal benefits eligibility by immigration status — who qualifies for what
- Find legal aid in your state — public-benefits appeals
Last verified: 2026-06-28. Sources: Children’s Medical Security Plan and MassHealth information for noncitizens, Mass.gov.
General procedural information, not legal or immigration advice. Program rules and income limits change — verify with MassHealth or the Massachusetts Health Connector before applying.