February 25, 2021
Micronesian Islander Community Members May Be Eligible for Medicaid Benefits
In December 2020, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, access to full Medicaid benefits was restored for citizens from the following Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries.
- Federated States of Micronesia,
- Republic of the Marshall Islands, and
- Republic of Palau.
Citizens of these countries living in Arizona may be eligible for full Medicaid benefits. There are several ways to submit an application:
- Apply online through Health-e-Arizona Plus (HEAplus) at www.healthearizonaplus.gov/,
- Get help applying online from a local Community Partner organization. Search for a local community partner at www.healthearizonaplus.gov/app/Info_Assistor.aspx,
- Apply over the phone at 1-855-HEA-PLUS (1-855-432-7587) Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., or
- Download, print, and complete a paper application form and fax or mail it to a local eligibility office. Choose one of two application forms:
Important Information for COFA Applicants
AHCCCS is updating the HEAplus online application system in order to correctly identify and determine full services eligibility for COFA citizens. Since the HEAplus online application does not yet recognize COFA applicants as "qualified" noncitizens, selecting a COFA status will screen the customer for federal emergency services (FES) only.
In the interim, COFA citizens are asked to take the following steps when applying to ensure they are screened for full AHCCCS benefits:
- If applying online in HEAplus, select the “Conditional Entrant” noncitizen status.
- If completing a paper application, add a note to the noncitizen section that says, “qualified noncitizen, COFA."
- If applying by telephone or at a Community Partner organization, identify themselves as COFA citizens with a “qualified noncitizen” status.
For help with a new AHCCCS application, or to check on the status of an application, visit www.healthearizonaplus.gov or call 1-855-HEA-PLUS.
