We can all agree a phone is one of the few latest technologies we can’t do without. If you can’t afford one, the government currently has multiple programs that allow you to connect at no cost. But then, are any of these programs worth it? If yes, how do I get a free phone from the Medicaid card of my parent?
Before all else, the free phone programs that come from the government are worthwhile. Many people are still in no employment, and others can’t be able to work from health issues or old age.
The problem we have, though, is that not all companies that give free phones are great. In fact, it’s less than half-dozen providers I can identify so far that will give you a decent freebie.
What’s the Best Free Phone from Medicaid?
In this guide, I’ve discovered sixteen service providers you can get a free phone from Medicaid today. But out of all these options, my favorite seven are:
- AirTalk Wireless
- Newphone Wireless
- Cintex Wireless
- SafeLink Wireless
- Assurance Wireless
- Easy Wireless
- StandUp Wireless
How to Get a Free Phone from Medicaid
First, Medicaid is one of the welfare benefits that government provides to low-income consumers. And when looking at how to get a free tablet with Medicaid, I mentioned the four different ways you can apply and qualify.
Once approved, the Medicaid agency from your State will mail your benefits ID card, which you’ll be using for medical payments.
Approval to Medicaid will also make it possible to get a free phone from various eligible telecommunication carriers across the country.
In a nutshell, an eligible telecommunication carrier (ETC) is a service provider that has a license to offer lifeline phone service. The providers in this category are the only you can get a free phone from Medicaid benefits. But whether you’ll get a device or not depends if you’re on the Lifeline or ACP plan.
Method 1: How to Get a Free Phone from Medicaid with Lifeline Plan
Lifeline is the oldest free phone program from the government- launched in 1985. The government sponsors the program through the federal universal service fund, funded through taxes from telecommunication providers.
USAC (or universal service administrative company) is responsible to collect these monies from the telecommunication providers. Then as the administrator of the program, USAC distributes the funds they reimburse to the participating carriers.
Currently, USAC pays lifeline carriers $9.25 for each line registered. It’s seemingly not much when you consider the FCC now requires these carriers to provide at least 4.5GB of high-speed data on the monthly service. But then, they (lifeline carriers) usually don’t pay the federal and state fees/ taxes demanded on regular prepaid/ postpaid telecoms.
Long story short, lifeline providers are still able to offer a free smartphone when you join for the first time. The drawback is that the kind of phone most will give you is a cheap low-end brand.
Note: Lifeline providers like Q Link will tell you they “do not provide FREE phones because the government does not supply ACP or Lifeline providers with free phones”. And for this reason, the carriers tend to change policies about the offer.
For instance, the current offer from Q Link is that you can only get a FREE phone if you apply Lifeline together with ACP.
Method 2: How to Get a Free Phone from Medicaid with ACP Plan
ACP or affordable connectivity program is the second way you can get a free phone with Medicaid. It’s not a very old program- Congress formed it at the end of 2021 to replace the previous emergency broadband benefit.
The ACP program received a total budget of $14.1 billion, where each customer would get a $30 subsidy on service and up to $100 off a connected device.
Unfortunately, the “connected device” to get a discount only covers a tablet PC, laptop, or desktop computer. It’s the reason companies like Maxsip and Excess Telecom offer free tablets for low-income families, yet no free phones.
It’s also worth mentioning not every service provider participating in the ACP program is an ETC. Regular mobile carriers (like Verizon, AT&T, Red Pocket, and Cricket) and fixed internet service providers (like Xfinity and Spectrum) are also offering the connectivity benefit. However, these providers only give you a service subsidy with no device discount.
To get a free phone from Medicaid with ACP, the carriers participating in the Lifeline program will be the best pick. Most have started to limit the phone offer to only the customers that have ACP. They may have the lifeline-only plan without the device, whereas the ACP-only and Lifeline + ACP combo plan will qualify you for one. See below.
What Companies Can You Get a Free Phone from Medicaid?
There are over a dozen lifeline companies you can get a free phone from Medicaid today. The various options include:
| Free Phone with Lifeline-Only | Free Phone with ACP | Kind of Phone to expect | |
| AirTalk Wireless | NO | YES | Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, Alcatel, et cetera |
| Newphone Wireless | NO | YES | Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, Alcatel, et cetera |
| Cintex Wireless | NO | YES | – |
| SafeLink Wireless | NO | YES (ACP combo) | Alcatel TCL, BLU, Motorola |
| Assurance Wireless | YES | YES | Motorola, Wiko, Unimax, Schok, Moxee, Orbic, et cetera |
| Easy Wireless | NO | YES | Sky Devices, BLU C6L |
| TAG Mobile | YES | YES | NUU, BLU |
| Q Link Wireless | NO | YES (ACP combo) | Hot Pepper (HP), NUU, BLU, TCL |
| Access Wireless | YES | YES | Sky Devices, NUU, BLU, |
| TruConnect | NO | YES (ACP combo) | Cloud Mobile |
| Life Wireless | NO | YES | – |
| StandUp Wireless | NO | YES | Vortex, Sky Devices, BLU, Hot Pepper |
| American Assistance | NO | YES (ACP combo) | – |
| Assist Wireless | NO | YES (ACP combo) | – |
| Safety net Wireless | YES | YES | Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, et cetera |
| Torch Wireless | NO | YES | Alcatel, Calypso, Maestro, MaxWest |
Out of the over dozen selections, my favorite providers of the free phone with the lifeline or ACP are still the seven:
AirTalk Wireless
AirTalk Wireless is the overall best provider you can get a free phone from Medicaid benefits. It not only has an extensive catalog of phones to get. You can also choose your desired model, including high-end brands such as:
- Apple iPhone 8, 7-Plus, 6s-Plus, 6-Plus
- LG Stylo 6, G8 ThinQ, V50 ThinQ 5G
- Google Pixel 4, 4 XL, 3 XL, 3A XL, 2 XL
- Samsung Galaxy: A50, S9, Note 8, A32, A20s, A10s
- REVVL V+ 5G, REVVL V, Revvl 5G
- Motorola G Stylus, Moto G Pure, Moto Z4, G7 Power, G Fast, et cetera
Newphone Wireless
Newphone Wireless is the second lifeline carrier you can get a free phone with Medicaid medical program. It’s the sister company of AirTalk, with HTH Communications as the parent company. And the better part, you have the option to choose the device to get, which includes the brands above, plus others like:
- Alcatel Go Flip 4, phones
- OnePlus Nord N10 5G, Nord N100, 7T, 6T, et cetera
Cintex Wireless
Cintex Wirelessis the second sister of AirTalk and a favorite of many people. I believe it was the first acquisition of HTH Communications under the Lifeline program. Then at the time, you would get the option to choose your desired phone, including the high-end brands above.
However, after HTH acquired FeelSafe Wireless (now AirTalk) in 2022, Cintex disbanded its free phone stock. What used to be a catalog of 100+ phones now has only two options, with a “Cintex Smartphone” and a “Cintex 4G LTE Flip phone”.
SafeLink Wireless
SafeLink Wireless is another company you can apply for a free phone with the Medicaid program. It currently has the best monthly allowance when you combine Lifeline and ACP, giving up to 2.1TB of high-speed data. Then when you have 5G phones, I’ve noticed the data speeds peak at up to 400+Mbps on the Verizon-compatible SIM.
Speaking of the phones, Safelink doesn’t have the option to choose the kind of phone to get. They usually send the devices randomly, albeit the brands will always be around:
- Alcatel TCL A3 (commonly sent)
- Alcatel TCL A30
- Blu View 2(B131DL)
- Motorola Moto G Pure
Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless is one of the oldest Lifeline providers in the country. It has changed ownership from Virgin Mobile (by Sprint) to T-Mobile recently. But just like in the old times, you do get a free smartphone on a Lifeline-only plan as the company doesn’t support BYOP.
The kind of phone you get from Assurance Wireless at the moment is the Motorola Moto G Pure. If Motorola isn’t available, you can expect to receive:
- Wiko Life™ 3
- Unimax 696CL
- Schok Volt SV55
- Moxee™ m2160
- Orbic® Fun Android 12+
- ANS Artia™ (ACK2326 )
- HP (Hot Pepper®) Chilaca
Easy Wireless
Easy Wirelesswill also give you a free phone, albeit only under Plus Plan (ACP-only) and Unlimited Plan (Lifeline + ACP combo). The carrier doesn’t say the kind of phone to expect. But after extensive research, I’ve come to learn you may get either:
- Sky Devices Elite F55
- BLU C6L
Note: Easy Wireless lifeline-only plan gives you a Smartphone at a $25 FEE. However, you can get a FREE phone if on federally recognized Tribal lands.
StandUp Wireless
StandUp Wireless is yet another decent eligible telecommunication carrier from my favorite seven you can get a free phone from Medicaid. It doesn’t exactly have the best monthly service allotments (only 10GB high-speed data with lifeline + ACP combo).
Meanwhile, the kind of phone StandUP Wireless gives you in the ongoing Free offer is the Vortex Z22 with 32/ 3GB built-in memory. And in case the model is unavailable, you can expect:
- SKY Elite B55
- Blu M8L or M8L+
- Hot Pepper Ghost
Make Sure Your Free Phone will Have Service
Be it unemployment or low income, that’s how to get a free phone from the Medicaid program. It’s a pretty easy process to apply, as you just need to visit the website or call your preferred eligible telecommunication carrier. Then provide the necessary credentials, including your name, date of birth, Social Security number (last digits), and place of residence.
Nonetheless, filling up these personal details is usually not just enough. The carriers with the free phone from the government will require you to provide proof documents (proof of identity, eligibility, and physical address.) to verify it’s indeed you. Then will forward everything to the National Verifier (database), who will determine if you’re eligible for the program or not.
If lucky and get approved, the lifeline/ ACP company you’ve applied the offer with will mail your order to the address used in enrollment. And this is the reason you should use the exact information of your permanent residence.
Speaking of the residence, you should make sure the free phone you’ve applied for will work in your location. Thus, when applying, choose a service provider that will have signal/ network coverage in your location. Otherwise, it will be worthless to get a phone that doesn’t work.
