American Indians/Alaska Natives

The term American Indian refers to members of federally recognized (and in some cases, state-recognized) tribes in the U.S. The term Alaska Native refers to members of Alaska Native Villages and of Alaska Native Corporations under the Alaska Native Corporation Settlement Act.

American Indians and Alaska Natives born outside the United States are eligible for federal benefits to the same extent as American Indians and Alaska Natives born in the U.S. if they are:

A member of a federally-recognized American Indian tribe (see Governor's Office of Indian Affairs website ); or

Alaska Native Village or Corporations (see Federal Register Notice ).

Noncitizen American Indians eligibility

Noncitizen American Indians have the same eligibility for health care coverage as U.S. Citizens, but citizen documentation requirements do not apply. Instead they will need to provide tribal verification.

Example: A member of a federally recognized tribe (e.g., Pueblo) who is a Mexican citizen gives birth to a child outside of the U.S. The child qualifies as a member of the tribe but is not a citizen. That child is potentially eligible for Washington Apple Health as long as the child can establish that he or she is a member of the federal tribe.