Some lawful noncitizens face a coverage cutoff, while others can remain enrolled by documenting an eligible status. State officials are urging recipients to respond to their notices.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – As many as 25,000 lawful noncitizens in New Jersey could lose Medicaid coverage beginning Oct. 1, state officials told the New Jersey Monitor in a Sept. 21 report. The change affects certain immigration categories under the federal tax and spending law enacted in 2025.
Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha told the Monitor that residents should not assume all immigrants are losing coverage. Greg Woods, who runs the state’s Medicaid program, urged people to return requested information even as the deadline approaches because some remain eligible but need to supply documentation.
Under NJ FamilyCare’s eligibility guidance, affected groups can include refugees, asylum recipients, certain humanitarian parolees and survivors of trafficking or domestic violence who have not obtained lawful permanent resident status. Eligibility depends on the individual’s circumstances.
Groups that can remain eligible include children under 19 regardless of immigration status, lawfully present people under 21, lawfully present pregnant people and qualifying permanent residents. Cuban and Haitian entrants and qualifying migrants from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau also remain eligible, subject to other program requirements.
A request for documents does not itself establish that someone is ineligible. NJ FamilyCare reviews each household member separately, so one person’s loss of coverage does not automatically end coverage for a spouse or child.
The state’s document-verification contractor, HMS, can help residents locate their notice or reference number at 833-635-7060, with TTY access through 711. The state guidance explains how to submit documents and check their status. Residents should follow the instructions and deadlines in their own notices.
For people losing coverage, the state’s insurance marketplace offers another enrollment route. Get Covered New Jersey says affected residents who enroll by Sept. 30 can begin marketplace coverage Oct. 1. Applicants should select loss of NJ FamilyCare as their qualifying event.
Financial assistance may be available for the remaining months of 2026. A separate federal change beginning Jan. 1, 2027, will restrict federal marketplace assistance for some immigration categories, including refugees and asylum recipients. A plan’s price for the final months of this year therefore should not be assumed to continue into 2027.
The marketplace’s customer service number is 833-677-1010. Its enrollment guidance identifies loss of Medicaid eligibility as a qualifying event for a special enrollment period, generally allowing up to 60 days after the loss to enroll. Enrolling before the September cutoff offers an earlier opportunity to arrange replacement coverage.