To be eligible for medical assistance a child must be deprived of parental support and care for one of the following reasons:
- Death of parent(s)
- Continued absence of parent(s) from the home where the parent's absence interrupts or terminates the parent's functioning as a provider of maintenance, physical care, or guidance and prevents the family from relying on their support or care of the child.
- Physical or mental incapacity of one or both parents and the incapacity is expected to last at least 30 days and the incapacity reduces or eliminates the parent's ability to support or care for the otherwise eligible child
- Unemployment or underemployment of the parent designated as the principal wage earner.