Last reviewed October 2026

Can a low-income working adult with no children get Medicaid in Texas?

Short answer: Usually not. Texas did not expand Medicaid under the ACA, so an adult under 65 who is not pregnant, disabled or raising a child generally cannot get Texas Medicaid at any income level.

Texas Medicaid is built around categories, not income alone: children, pregnant women, very-low-income parents and caretaker relatives, former foster youth, and people who are aged, blind or disabled. Texas has no ACA adult (expansion) group, so a healthy adult without dependent children usually has no Medicaid pathway however low the income.

That leaves many low-income Texas adults in the “coverage gap”: too poor for Marketplace premium tax credits and not in a Medicaid category. Screen each household member separately, because the children in the same family may still qualify for Children’s Medicaid or CHIP even when no adult does.

HHSC makes every eligibility decision. Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com or by calling 2-1-1.

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