Foster Care Medicaid

Title IV-E

The Foster Care Medicaid Program (Title IV-E) provides full Medicaid coverage to children: (1) who are in the custody of an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), (2) for whom a foster care maintenance payment is being made by DHHS, and (3) who meet eligibility and reimbursement requirements for Title IV-E, as determined by DHHS.

A child may continue to qualify for this program until age 18. A child between age 18 and 19 may qualify until the month of graduation if he is attending school full-time and expecting to graduate before the child’s 19th birthday.

Retroactive coverage is allowed to the date of the child’s removal from the home when entering state custody.

Non IV-E

The Foster Care Medicaid program (Non IV-E) provides full Medicaid coverage to children: (1) who are in the custody of DHHS, (2) for whom a foster care maintenance payment is being made by DHHS, (3) who do not meet eligibility or reimbursement requirements for Title IV-E, as determined by DHHS, and (4) who meet the requirement for another Medicaid program applicable for children.

Income, assets, and other eligibility factors are as defined for other existing Medicaid programs such as Child Age 0-5, Child Age 6-18, Disabled Medicaid, or Child Medically Needy. Continuing qualification is based on the criteria for the specific program each child qualifies under. Retroactive coverage is allowed to the date of the child’s removal from home when entering state custody.

Former Foster Care Individuals and Foster Care Independent Living

The Former Foster Care Individuals Medicaid program provides full Medicaid coverage to individuals who: (1) are age 18 to 26, (2) were concurrently enrolled in Medicaid and Foster Care in Utah at age 18 or higher, (3) were in the custody of DCFS, DHHS, an Indian tribe, or under the state’s responsibility with the Catholic Community Services foster care for unaccompanied minor refugees when Foster Care ended. There is no income or asset limit. Retroactive coverage is allowed.

An extension for Medicaid coverage, called Foster Care Independent Living, is available for youth through age 21 when they age out of foster care if they receive Independent Living Services through DCFS. This is an option for former foster care youth who do not qualify for the Former Foster Care Individuals program.

Custody Medical Program

The Custody Medical Care program enables children entering foster care to immediately access health care services. The program is for foster children who have not yet had Medicaid eligibility determined, who do not qualify for any Medicaid eligibility while in custody, or who need health care services not covered by Medicaid. The program is paid for with State general funds.

This program has no income, asset, or deprivation tests. The program can be authorized by a DHHS Fostering Healthy Children Program Nurse for each foster child. A child may qualify for this program until state custody is discontinued.