State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Alabama. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Medicare and health costs
Alabama Medicaid in Alabama
Alabama Medicaid can pay health costs Medicare doesn't for people 65 and older with very low income and savings.
It comes mainly through SSI: you apply for SSI with Social Security, and you may qualify with income up to about $1,014 a month. Nursing-home care and help at home through waiver programs have a higher income limit, and you apply for those at a Medicaid district office.
How to apply in Alabama
- By phone
- 1-800-362-1504
- In person
- If you get SSI, you apply through your local Social Security office. For nursing-home care, home-care waivers and other programs for older and disabled people, contact the Medicaid district office for your county; the state's contacts page lists each office and the counties it serves.
- By mail
- Mail the application (Form 204/205) to Medicaid, PO Box 5624, Montgomery, AL 36103-5624, or email it to apply@medicaid.alabama.gov.
Who may qualify in Alabama
| One person | Married couple | |
|---|---|---|
| Income limit (2026) | $1,014 a month (through SSI) | $1,511 a month (through SSI) |
| Savings limit (2026) | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Spend-down if your income is over the limit | No Source: KFF (source 3) |
|---|---|
| Income limit for nursing-home or home-care Medicaid (2026) | $2,982 a month, for nursing-home care and the Elderly and Disabled Waiver (savings limit $2,000) |
| Medicaid for adults under 65 (expansion) | No: Alabama's 2026 income chart has no group for low-income adults 19 to 64 except parents and caretaker relatives, whose limit is 18% of the poverty level |
How Alabama is different
Where Alabama's rules differ from the federal rules for Medicaid for people with Medicare.
- Medicaid for people 65 and older comes mainly through SSI; Alabama has no separate higher income limit for them
- Home care through the Elderly and Disabled Waiver, with the same income limit as nursing-home care
Good to know
- Medicaid accepts Social Security's decision on disability, and people who want Medicaid through SSI apply with the Social Security Administration.
Free help
Free help with this in Alabama
Alabama Department of Senior Services
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Alabama
Medicaid for older adults in another state
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Sources
- Alabama Medicaid Agency, Medicaid Income Limits for 2026 (Form 207) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Alabama Medicaid Agency, Applicant Contacts (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- KFF, Medicaid Eligibility Levels for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (Non-MAGI) in 2026. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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