Eligibility and Apply
To check eligibility or apply for services, visit the Iowa HHS Benefits Portal.
How To Apply For HHS Benefits
Health Care (Medicaid)
To apply for Health Care, go to the online Human Services benefits portal or download the paper Application for Health Coverage and Help Paying Costs (Solicitud de cobertura mádica y sistencia para abonar el costo).
To report a change to an existing case, please download and complete this form. You can then email the completed form to IMCustomerSC@dhs.state.ia.us. Please see the instructions on the form for a complete list of ways to submit.
If you were directed here from the Human Services benefits portal because you do not have an email address, download the Application for Health Coverage and Help Paying Costs (Solicitud de cobertura mádica y sistencia para abonar el costo) to apply.
To discuss another person’s case, please download the Authorization to Obtain or Release Health Care Information form and send the completed form to Imaging Center 4, PO Box 2027 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 or fax to 515-564-4017.
For information on how to apply for Nursing Facility Medicaid visit the Long Term Care page.
Assistance Programs
How to apply for food assistance, rent reimbursement, child care, and more.
You can now apply for Rent Reimbursement for 2023 and 2022 claims using any device that connects to the internet. Click here to apply for Rent Reimbursement.
To apply for SNAP and/or cash assistance programs (FIP or RCA), go to the online benefits portal or download the HHS Food and Financial Support Application (Solicitud de Ayuda Financiera).
If you were directed here from the Human Services benefits portal because you do not have an email address, download the HHS Food and Financial Support Application (Solicitud de Ayuda Financiera) to apply. For help with completing your online application, please contact your local HHS Office.
To apply, contact your local WIC program and make an appointment. To find the agency closest to you, view the map.
To apply for Child Care Assistance, go to the Human Services Client Portal.
To apply for State Supplementary Assistance, go to the Iowa HHS benefits portal and complete the HHS application. To download a paper application, click here (Spanish version). If you were directed here from the Human Services benefits portal because you do not have an email address, download the paper application to apply.
You can apply for the FPP at an FPP family planning clinic.
You can also apply at the local HHS office in your area.
Remember that your income, citizenship and identity must be verified.
Services will be available immediately; however, it may take up to 30 days for an eligibility determination to be made.
You may apply for Iowa Child Support Services online by going to the Apply for Child Support Services page on the Child Support Services website.
Click here to apply for estate recovery.
When you received Medicaid benefits, which includes capitation fees paid to a managed care organization, even if the plan did not pay for any services, the State of Iowa has the right to ask for money back from your estate after your death. Members affected by the estate recovery policy are those who:
Are 55 years of age or older, regardless of where they are living; or
Are under age 55 and:
Reside in a nursing facility, an intermediate care facility for persons with intellectual disability, or a mental health institute, and
Cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged and return home.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (Weatherization) is a low-income energy efficiency program administered by the Department of Energy (DOE).
It helps make the homes for low-income constituents more energy efficient, which can help lower household energy bills.
Learn more about the Weatherization Assistance Program.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded program designed to assist low income families in Iowa to meet the cost of home heating by providing a one-time payment to the heating utility. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program. Homeowners and renters are eligible, within the federal poverty guidelines.
For more information and how to apply, visit LIHEAP.
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