Virginia: Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS)

The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) oversees the FAMIS program.

Who Is Eligible?

A summary of eligibility requirements appears below. Be sure to check with the Department of Medical Assistance Services to verify eligibility. Eligible individuals include children who:

A PDF of “Virginia: Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS)” is available at right under Documents & Resources.

Virginia: Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS)

The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) oversees the FAMIS program.

Who Is Eligible?

A summary of eligibility requirements appears below. Be sure to check with the Department of Medical Assistance Services to verify eligibility. Eligible individuals include children who:

• Are younger than age 19;
• Live in families meeting FAMIS income eligibility guidelines (for example, a family of four with an annual income of $44,100. For information on income levels, visit here;
• Live in Virginia;
• Don’t have health insurance now and haven’t had it in the past four months (there are exceptions to the four-month waiting period, visit here);
• Are not eligible for any Virginia state employee health insurance plan;
• Are not eligible for FAMIS Plus (also known as Children’s Medicaid); and
• Are U.S. citizens or qualified aliens. Other children may be eligible; for more information, call the application assistance line at (866) 873-2647.

Application Assistance

• Applicants can call (866) 873-2647, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – noon.
• Online applications are available here.

Useful Websites

• For information on FAMIS, visit here. 
• For more information, visit the department website. 
• To find out which plans serve your area, visit here.

About This Resource

This resource provides information about affordable health insurance options for children of eligible families in Virginia. It is part of the Institute for Local Government’s Healthy Communities – Insuring Kids Health Online Resource Center project.

The Insuring Kids Health Online Resource Center provides information and resources to help California cities and counties connect families with affordable health insurance for their children. The activities and best practices compiled can be applied throughout the country and can assist cities, counties, health plans and others that are interested in enrolling children in affordable health insurance.

The Institute for Local Government is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and education affiliate of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities. The Institute for Local Government promotes good government at the local level with practical, impartial and easy-to-use resources for California communities.

The Institute gratefully acknowledges the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation for its generous support of this project.