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Colorado Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for Health First Colorado, the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing.

Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 25 sources

Apply for Health First Colorado

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing runs it. We're not the state agency, so you apply with them, online or with help from your clinic or hospital.

Start your application

Opens healthfirstcolorado.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In Colorado, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid or CHIP if your household earns up to 265% of the poverty level: about $57,346 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth. A qualified clinic or hospital can enroll you the same day.

Colorado pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. Health First Colorado covers pregnancy up to 265% of the federal poverty level.

Medicaid itself goes to 195%. Between 195% and 260%, coverage is through CHIP. Between 260% and 265%, coverage is through CHIP's From Conception to End of Pregnancy (unborn-child) option.

Health First Colorado income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdMedicaid to 195%CHIP to 260%Unborn-child to 265%
2you + 1 baby$42,198$3,517/mo$56,264$4,689/mo$57,346$4,779/mo
3$53,274$4,440/mo$71,032$5,919/mo$72,398$6,033/mo
4$64,350$5,363/mo$85,800$7,150/mo$87,450$7,288/mo
5$75,426$6,286/mo$100,568$8,381/mo$102,502$8,542/mo
6$86,502$7,209/mo$115,336$9,611/mo$117,554$9,796/mo
7$97,578$8,132/mo$130,104$10,842/mo$132,606$11,051/mo
8$108,654$9,055/mo$144,872$12,073/mo$147,658$12,305/mo

Annual and monthly household income. See the 2026 poverty guidelines

Your baby counts

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 household of three in Colorado, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $72,398 a year ($27,320 × 265%).

Limits are percents of the poverty level from KFF and Georgetown CCF (January 2026) and include the standard 5-point income disregard. Colorado rounds and updates on its own schedule, so treat the dollars as approximate.

Sources: KFF State Health Facts; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register); eCFR (National Archives). Data as of October 2026.

How to apply in Colorado

  1. Count your household

    Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting, and anyone else the state counts with you. Find your size in the table above.

  2. Apply with Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing

    Apply on the state's site (healthfirstcolorado.gov). Go to the Health First Colorado application

  3. Ask for same-day coverage

    At your first prenatal visit, ask whether the clinic can enroll you through presumptive eligibility while your application is processed.

  4. Keep your coverage after birth

    Health First Colorado covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends.

Get covered today

Yes

Presumptive eligibility lets a qualified clinic or hospital enroll a pregnant person in temporary Medicaid right away, while the full application is processed.

Colorado uses it for pregnancy. Ask at your first prenatal visit whether the clinic can enroll you.

Source: KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Data as of January 2025.

12 months

of Health First Colorado coverage after birth, since July 1, 2022

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What Health First Colorado covers for pregnancy

Coverage after birth, plus the three extras people ask about most, each from our state-by-state trackers.

After birth

12 months
Health First Colorado keeps covering you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since July 1, 2022.
Postpartum coverage in every state

Doula care

Yes
In Colorado, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $1,470 per pregnancy for up to 3 hours of prenatal and 3 hours of postpartum visits, plus support during labor and delivery.We list 518 doulas in Colorado.
Doulas in ColoradoDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Yes
In Colorado, Medicaid pays for lactation support visits with no visit limits, and IBCLCs can enroll and bill directly.
Lactation consultants in ColoradoLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Yes
In Colorado, Medicaid covers manual and electric breast pumps from 28 weeks of pregnancy with a prescription and no prior authorization.
Breast pump rules in Colorado and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in Colorado now and in 2027.

Sources: U.S. Government Publishing Office; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families

More for families in Colorado

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in Colorado

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in Colorado?

Health First Colorado covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 265% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $57,346 a year for a household of two, $72,398 for three and $87,450 for four. Medicaid itself goes to 195% ($42,198 for two). Between 195% and 260%, coverage is through CHIP. Between 260% and 265%, coverage is through CHIP's From Conception to End of Pregnancy (unborn-child) option. Limits are KFF's figures as of January 2026.

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 Health First Colorado cover you after birth?

12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since July 1, 2022.

Can I get covered the same day in Colorado?

Yes. Colorado uses presumptive eligibility for pregnancy, so a qualified clinic or hospital can enroll you in temporary Medicaid the same day while your full application is processed.

How do I apply for pregnancy Medicaid in Colorado?

Apply with Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing at healthfirstcolorado.gov. Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting as your household, and compare your income with the limit for that size. We're not the state agency and can't take applications.

Does Health First Colorado pay for a doula?

In Colorado, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $1,470 per pregnancy for up to 3 hours of prenatal and 3 hours of postpartum visits, plus support during labor and delivery.

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.

We're not Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at healthfirstcolorado.gov for a decision. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the state's own notice.

Sources

  1. 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. 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. 3.Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (as of July 15, 2026) KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 4.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.
  5. 5.Health First Colorado: how to apply Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of Colorado State Plan Amendment CO-22-0009 (12-month postpartum coverage), effective 2022-07-01 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.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.
  8. 8.42 CFR 435.603(b), definition of family size eCFR (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 25 sources
  1. 9.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.
  2. 10.SHO #26-001: Implementation of Section 71109 "Alien Medicaid Eligibility" (April 8, 2026) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 11.42 CFR 447.56(a)(2)(ii), exemptions from Medicaid cost sharing: pregnancy-related services eCFR / Code of Federal Regulations.
  4. 12.Colorado SPA CO-24-0004 (doula services) listing CMS / Medicaid.gov. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 13.Doulas (Health First Colorado doula benefit page) Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.Doula Billing Manual Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.Health First Colorado Fee Schedule, July 1, 2026 (v1.4) Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.Health First Colorado Fee Schedule, October 1, 2025 (v1.6) Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 17.Provider Rates and Fee Schedule Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 18.2024 Doula Enrollment Quick Guide Colorado HCPF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 19.Benefits & Services (member benefits table incl. Doula) Health First Colorado (HCPF). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 20.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 21.State Trends in Medicaid Coverage of Doula Services (published April 1, 2026; data as of March 2026) National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 22.Lactation Support Services Billing Manual Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 23.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  16. 24.Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Billing Manual Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  17. 25.Health First Colorado Breast Pump Suppliers (Single and Multi-User Breast Pump Supplier List, Updated 02/02/2026) Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Accessed October 9, 2026.