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District of Columbia Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for DC Medicaid, the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with DC Department of Health Care Finance.

Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 26 sources

Apply for DC Medicaid

DC Department of Health Care Finance 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 dhcf.dc.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In the District of Columbia, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid if your household earns up to 324% of the poverty level: about $70,114 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth.

DC pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. DC Medicaid covers pregnancy up to 324% of the federal poverty level.

DC Medicaid income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$70,114$5,843
3$88,517$7,376
4$106,920$8,910
5$125,323$10,444
6$143,726$11,977
7$162,130$13,511
8$180,533$15,044

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 the District of Columbia, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $88,517 a year ($27,320 × 324%).

Limits are percents of the poverty level from KFF and Georgetown CCF (January 2026) and include the standard 5-point income disregard. the District of Columbia 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 the District of Columbia

  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 DC Department of Health Care Finance

    Apply on the state's site (dhcf.dc.gov). Go to the DC Medicaid application

  3. Ask the hospital about temporary coverage

    Hospitals in every state may grant presumptive eligibility, which covers you while your full application is processed.

  4. Keep your coverage after birth

    DC Medicaid covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends.

Get covered today

Hospitals only

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

the District of Columbia doesn't use it for its pregnancy group, but hospitals in every state may make these determinations.

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

12 months

of DC Medicaid coverage after birth, since April 1, 2022

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What DC Medicaid 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
DC Medicaid keeps covering you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since April 1, 2022.
Postpartum coverage in every state

Doula care

Yes
In the District of Columbia, Medicaid covers up to 12 doula visits including the birth, paying $107.89 per visit during pregnancy or the first 6 weeks after birth, $762.98 for labor and delivery, and $13.48 per 15 minutes for later postpartum visits.We list 83 doulas in the District of Columbia.
Doulas in District of ColumbiaDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Yes
In DC, Medicaid pays for up to four lactation consultant visits in the 120 days after delivery, and board-certified lactation consultants can enroll and bill directly.
Lactation consultants in District of ColumbiaLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Yes
In DC, Medicaid covers breast pumps as medical equipment, and MedStar Family Choice covers a manual or double electric pump for any breastfeeding mother.
Breast pump rules in DC and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in the District of Columbia 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 the District of Columbia

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in the District of Columbia

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in the District of Columbia?

DC Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 324% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $70,114 a year for a household of two, $88,517 for three and $106,920 for four. 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 DC Medicaid cover you after birth?

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

Can I get covered the same day in the District of Columbia?

the District of Columbia doesn't use presumptive eligibility for its pregnancy group, but hospitals in every state may make presumptive eligibility determinations, so ask the hospital.

How do I apply for pregnancy Medicaid in the District of Columbia?

Apply with DC Department of Health Care Finance at dhcf.dc.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 DC Medicaid pay for a doula?

In the District of Columbia, Medicaid covers up to 12 doula visits including the birth, paying $107.89 per visit during pregnancy or the first 6 weeks after birth, $762.98 for labor and delivery, and $13.48 per 15 minutes for later postpartum visits.

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 DC Department of Health Care Finance and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at dhcf.dc.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.DC Medicaid: how to apply DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of District of Columbia State Plan Amendment DC-22-0001 (12-month postpartum coverage), effective 2022-04-01 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 26 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.Doula Services (member page) DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 13.Information for Doula Providers DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.Medicaid Doula Provider Manual (Aug 2026) DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.Transmittal 25-36: CY 2026 Medicaid Doula Service Rates DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.Transmittal 22-34: Doula Benefit, Provider Qualifications and Enrollment, Rates and Reimbursement Standards DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 17.DC State Plan Attachment 4.19-B p.39: Doula Services Reimbursement DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 18.DC State Plan Supplement 1 to Attachment 3.1-A p.21A: Doula services DC Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 19.29 DCMR Chapter 112 Doula Services (emergency/proposed rulemaking, 9/26/22) DC Department of Health Care Finance. 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.Transmittal 19-20: Enrollment & Code and Rate for Lactation Consultation Services District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 23.Medicaid Update: Transmittal 14-21 Policy Regarding Medicaid Coverage to Promote Breast Feeding District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  16. 24.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  17. 25.MedStar Family Choice District of Columbia Administrative Policy 1412.DC: Breast Pumps - Continuing Rental MedStar Family Choice DC. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  18. 26.Revised Transmittal #26-19: Managed Care Plan Transition District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance. Accessed October 9, 2026.