Medicaid for pregnant women: income limits by state (2026)
Every state covers pregnancy through Medicaid or CHIP, but the income limit depends on where you live. Here is each state's limit as a percent of the federal poverty level and in dollars, with the 2026 poverty guidelines to work out your own.
Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 11 sources
Short answer
Check your own household
Pick your state, household size and income. The checker compares them with these limits and WIC's.
Open the benefits checkerPregnancy Medicaid income limits by state
The highest income at which each state covers pregnancy through Medicaid or CHIP. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Alabama | 317%* | $68,599 |
| Alaska | 230% | $62,215 |
| Arizona | 161% | $34,840 |
| Arkansas | 214% | $46,310 |
| California | 322%* | $69,681 |
| Colorado | 265%* | $57,346 |
| Connecticut | 263% | $56,913 |
| Delaware | 217% | $46,959 |
| District of Columbia | 324% | $70,114 |
| Florida | 196% | $42,414 |
| Georgia | 225% | $48,690 |
| Hawaii | 196% | $48,784 |
| Idaho | 138% | $29,863 |
| Illinois | 213% | $46,093 |
| Indiana | 213% | $46,093 |
| Iowa | 220% | $47,608 |
| Kansas | 171% | $37,004 |
| Kentucky | 218% | $47,175 |
| Louisiana | 214%* | $46,310 |
| Maine | 214% | $46,310 |
| Maryland | 264% | $57,130 |
| Massachusetts | 205% | $44,362 |
| Michigan | 200% | $43,280 |
| Minnesota | 283% | $61,241 |
| Mississippi | 199% | $43,064 |
| Missouri | 305% | $66,002 |
| Montana | 162% | $35,057 |
| Nebraska | 202%* | $43,713 |
| Nevada | 205% | $44,362 |
| New Hampshire | 201% | $43,496 |
| New Jersey | 205% | $44,362 |
| New Mexico | 255% | $55,182 |
| New York | 223% | $48,257 |
| North Carolina | 201% | $43,496 |
| North Dakota | 175% | $37,870 |
| Ohio | 205% | $44,362 |
| Oklahoma | 210% | $45,444 |
| Oregon | 190% | $41,116 |
| Pennsylvania | 220% | $47,608 |
| Rhode Island | 258% | $55,831 |
| South Carolina | 199% | $43,064 |
| South Dakota | 138% | $29,863 |
| Tennessee | 255% | $55,182 |
| Texas | 207%* | $44,795 |
| Utah | 144% | $31,162 |
| Vermont | 213% | $46,093 |
| Virginia | 205% | $44,362 |
| Washington | 215% | $46,526 |
| West Virginia | 305% | $66,002 |
| Wisconsin | 306% | $66,218 |
| Wyoming | 159% | $34,408 |
* In AL, CA, CO, LA, NE and TX, the top band comes only through CHIP's From Conception to End of Pregnancy (unborn child) option. It covers the pregnancy regardless of the parent's immigration status, but benefits and postpartum coverage can be narrower than full Medicaid.
Limits are percents of the federal poverty level and already include the standard 5-point income disregard. Dollar figures apply the 2026 HHS guideline for a household of two, using Alaska's and Hawaii's own guidelines there. States round and update on their own schedules, so treat dollars as approximate.
Sources: KFF State Health Facts; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register). Data as of October 2026.
Work out the limit for your household
Multiply the poverty guideline for your household size by your state's limit. For Medicaid, a pregnant woman's family size counts her plus the number of children she is expected to deliver (42 CFR 435.603(b)).
Example
A household of three in Texas (two people plus one expected baby): $27,320 × 207% = $56,552 a year, or about $4,713 a month.
States must cover pregnancy for individuals with income up to 138% FPL; most states (38) set the upper limit at or above 200% FPL. The median upper limit is 213% FPL (January 2026).
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register); eCFR (National Archives); KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families
| Household | 48 states and DC | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $19,950 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $27,050 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $34,150 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $41,250 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $48,350 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $55,450 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $62,550 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $69,650 |
| Each extra person | +$5,680 | +$7,100 |
Hawaii's column shows on wider screens.
Coverage after birth, and what's changing
50 of 51
programs, counting DC, cover you for 12 months after birth
KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026
28
states used presumptive eligibility for pregnancy in January 2025
KFF and Georgetown CCF, January 2025
Does Arkansas Medicaid cover 12 months after birth?
In Arkansas, Arkansas Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 214% of the federal poverty level (about $46,310 a year for a household of two); Medicaid postpartum coverage ends after 60 days.
| State | What changed | When |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin began 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage.July 1, 2026 | July 1, 2026 |
| Iowa | Iowa cut its pregnancy Medicaid income limit to 220% of the poverty level. KFF's January 2025 figure was 380%.By January 2026 | By January 2026 |
| Alabama | Alabama started Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnancy, so a qualified provider can enroll you in temporary Medicaid while your application is processed.October 1, 2025 | October 1, 2025 |
| Nevada | Nevada raised its pregnancy Medicaid income limit from 190% to 205% of the poverty level.July 1, 2025 | July 1, 2025 |
Sources: Office of the Governor of Wisconsin; KFF; KFF State Health Facts; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families
Questions about pregnancy Medicaid
What is the income limit for Medicaid if you're pregnant?
It depends on your state. As of January 2026, the upper limit for pregnancy coverage through Medicaid or CHIP ran from 138% of the federal poverty level (Idaho and South Dakota) to 324% (District of Columbia), and the median state was 213%. For a household of two in the 48 contiguous states and DC, that is about $29,863 to $70,114 a year. 38 of 51 programs set the limit at 200% or higher.
Does my unborn baby count in my household size?
Yes. For Medicaid, a pregnant woman's family size counts her plus the number of children she is expected to deliver (42 CFR 435.603(b)). A single pregnant woman expecting one baby is a household of two; expecting twins, a household of three.
How long does pregnancy Medicaid last after the baby is born?
Federal law requires pregnancy-related Medicaid through 60 days postpartum. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 gave states the option to extend it to 12 months starting April 1, 2022, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 made the option permanent. As of July 15, 2026, 49 states and DC have implemented 12 months (Wisconsin started July 1, 2026); Arkansas is the only state still at 60 days.
Can I get covered right away, before my application is approved?
Presumptive eligibility lets qualified providers such as clinics and hospitals enroll a pregnant person in temporary Medicaid right away while the full application is processed. In January 2025, 28 states used it for pregnant people in Medicaid. Hospitals in every state may make presumptive eligibility determinations if they choose to. Alabama added it on October 1, 2025.
Do pregnant women have to meet the new Medicaid work requirements?
Public Law 119-21 (2025) requires states to apply Medicaid work (community engagement) requirements to expansion adults ages 19-64 starting no later than January 1, 2027 (states may start earlier; HHS may grant good-faith exemptions that end by December 31, 2028). People who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum coverage are exempt, as are parents and caretakers of a dependent child 13 or younger.
What changes for immigrants on October 1, 2026?
Beginning October 1, 2026, federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for non-emergency care is generally limited to U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, Cuban/Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. States that elected the CHIPRA 214 option may still cover lawfully residing children and pregnant women without the 5-year wait. Emergency Medicaid is not affected.
Guides on pregnancy coverage and costs
Postpartum Medicaid: 12 months of coverage after birth49 states and DC now keep Medicaid for 12 months after pregnancy. What's covered, what happens at month 12, and how 2027 work requirements affect new moms.
How much does it cost to have a baby in 2026?With employer insurance, having a baby adds about $20,400 in health costs, and families pay $2,743 of it. See vaginal vs C-section costs and how to pay less.
Does insurance cover a midwife or home birth?Medicaid must cover nurse-midwives and licensed birth centers. Coverage for CPMs, licensed midwives and home birth depends on your state and plan.How we built this
Income limits are KFF and Georgetown CCF's 50-state survey figures as of January 2026 (KFF State Health Facts and Table 2 of the April 2026 report). They are percentages of the federal poverty level (FPL), converted to MAGI standards, and include the standard 5-percentage-point income disregard at the highest Medicaid level when the state does not cover pregnancy through CHIP. The CHIP limit is CHIP coverage of pregnant individuals (7 states); the unborn-child limit is CHIP's From Conception to End of Pregnancy (formerly unborn child) option (25 states); the upper limit is the highest of the three, which KFF calls the upper income limit.
Postpartum status is KFF's Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker as of July 15, 2026. The postpartum start date is the effective date in each state's CMS approval letter (state plan amendment or section 1115 waiver), read from the documents KFF links, or the state's own announcement where noted; some states covered postpartum people for 12 months earlier with state funds or an earlier waiver (KFF). Presumptive eligibility reflects KFF/CCF's January 2025 survey (the January 2026 report does not cover it) for the Medicaid pregnancy group, updated where a state source shows a later change; it is left blank where the state did not report or we could not confirm a change.
Hospitals in every state may make presumptive eligibility determinations, even in states that do not otherwise use it. Poverty guidelines are the 2026 HHS figures from the Federal Register. Each state's one-sentence answer is generated from these figures. Its dollar amount applies the highest income limit to the 2026 HHS guideline for a household of two (a pregnant person expecting one baby counts as two under 42 CFR 435.603), using the Alaska or Hawaii guideline where applicable.
States apply their own rounding and update dates, so treat it as approximate.
Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the state's own notice.
51
state programs, counting DC
Checked October 2026
117
sources behind this table, including each state's CMS approval
Listed on each state page
6
states where the top band is CHIP unborn-child coverage only
KFF, January 2026
38
programs with a limit at or above 200% of the poverty level
KFF, January 2026
Sources
- 1.Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Limits for Pregnant Women as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level (as of January 2026) KFF State Health Facts. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Prepare for Major Medicaid Policy Changes (Table 2, January 2026) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Resume Routine Operations Following the Unwinding (Table 7: Presumptive Eligibility, January 2025) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (as of July 15, 2026) KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines (91 FR 1797, Jan. 15, 2026) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.42 CFR 435.603(b), definition of family size eCFR (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.Public Law 119-21, sec. 71119: Requirement for States to Establish Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements (adds SSA sec. 1902(xx)) U.S. Government Publishing Office. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.SHO #26-001: Implementation of Section 71109 "Alien Medicaid Eligibility" (April 8, 2026) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.Gov. Evers, DHS Celebrate Extended Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Now in Effect (July 1, 2026) Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnancy (PEP), effective October 1, 2025 Alabama Medicaid Agency. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 11.Where can people get help with Medicaid & CHIP? (state Medicaid links) Medicaid.gov (CMS). Accessed October 9, 2026.