Which states have expanded Medicaid to cover undocumented immigrant children as of 2025?

1. What “expanded Medicaid” means in this debate — federal options versus state‑only programs

The phrase “expanded Medicaid to cover undocumented children” is ambiguous: federal Medicaid and CHIP exclude undocumented immigrants, so real expansions come in two forms — states using federal options to remove the five‑year waiting period for lawfully present children and pregnant people, and states that spend their own dollars to create Medicaid‑equivalent programs for undocumented children. Most states that have broadened access rely on the federal ICHIA/CHIPRA option for lawfully present immigrants; only a smaller set of states have adopted fully state‑funded programs that explicitly cover undocumented children ^{[2] [1] [6]}.

2. Who is on the list: the 14 states + D.C. offering state‑funded coverage for undocumented children

Multiple reputable trackers converge on a core set of jurisdictions offering fully state‑funded coverage for children regardless of immigration status. KFF’s 2024 update named 12 states and D.C. — California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington — and more recent summaries and reporting cite a total often rounded to 14 states plus D.C. as of mid‑2025 ^{[4] [1] [7]}. A Milbank analysis also highlights seven jurisdictions that expanded to cover undocumented adults and older populations — California, Colorado, D.C., Illinois, New York, Oregon, Washington — showing that state approaches differ in scope and timing ^[5].

3. How reliable are the counts — discrepancies and why they appear

Counts vary (12, 14, 14+DC) because sources use different cutoffs: some list only child‑focused programs as of March 2024, others include subsequent 2024–2025 legislative changes or pilot programs, and some include coverage for pregnant people or older adults that overlap with child policies. KFF notes 14 states plus D.C. providing fully state‑funded coverage for income‑eligible children as of April 2025, while NILC’s maps and tables and other trackers update at different moments, producing small differences in totals ^{[4] [1] [8] [6]}.

4. The most common state names you will see reported

Across KFF, NILC, Milbank and other policy trackers, the jurisdictions most consistently listed as providing state‑funded coverage to undocumented children include: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia — with a small number of additional states identified in some updates, bringing the frequently cited total to 14 states plus D.C. ^{[4] [1] [5]}.

5. What these programs actually cover — and their limits

These state programs typically provide Medicaid‑like benefits to income‑eligible children regardless of status; some states limit benefits to children and pregnant people, others have phased in expanded adult coverage or set enrollment caps. Federal emergency Medicaid and pregnancy‑related options remain in place nationwide, but full Medicaid coverage for undocumented people is not federally funded and depends on state budgets and law ^{[3] [2] [1]}.

6. Political context and policy risks that matter for coverage stability

These programs are politically contested. Policy proposals in Congress during 2025 sought to penalize states that used state funds for undocumented coverage by reducing Medicaid expansion FMAP for targeted states; advocacy groups warned such proposals would shift billions to states and imperil state programs, while other reporting highlighted governors considering rollbacks for budgetary reasons ^{[7] [3]}. Sources emphasize that state funding makes these programs vulnerable to budget changes and federal policy shifts ^{[3] [7]}.

7. How to verify program status for a specific state today

State health agency websites and the NILC/KFF state tables are the primary sources for up‑to‑date program rules and enrollment status; NILC’s maps and tables provide state‑by‑state detail and KFF publishes regular snapshots of which jurisdictions run state‑funded programs ^{[8] [6] [1]}. For precise eligibility, effective dates and enrollment caps, consult the relevant state Medicaid or health department page cited in those trackers (p1_s11 for Colorado as an example of state documentation).

Limitations: available sources in this packet do not list a single, universally agreed enumerated list dated the same day in 2025; counts differ by publication date and by whether programs for pregnant people or adults are included ^{[1] [4]}.