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South Dakota Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for South Dakota Medicaid, the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with South Dakota Department of Social Services.

Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 21 sources

Apply for South Dakota Medicaid

South Dakota Department of Social Services 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 eaportal.sd.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In South Dakota, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid if your household earns up to 138% of the poverty level: about $29,863 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth.

South Dakota pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. South Dakota Medicaid covers pregnancy up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

South Dakota Medicaid income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$29,863$2,489
3$37,702$3,142
4$45,540$3,795
5$53,378$4,448
6$61,217$5,101
7$69,055$5,755
8$76,894$6,408

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 South Dakota, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $37,702 a year ($27,320 × 138%).

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

  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 South Dakota Department of Social Services

    Apply on the state's site (eaportal.sd.gov). Go to the South Dakota 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

    South Dakota 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.

South Dakota 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 South Dakota Medicaid coverage after birth, since July 1, 2023

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What South Dakota 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
South Dakota Medicaid keeps covering you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since July 1, 2023.
Postpartum coverage in every state

Doula care

Yes
In South Dakota, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $1,800 per pregnancy for prenatal and postpartum visits billed by the quarter hour, plus support during labor and delivery.We list 38 doulas in South Dakota.
Doulas in South DakotaDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Limited
In South Dakota, Medicaid includes breastfeeding and lactation education in the global obstetric package rather than paying for it separately.
Lactation consultants in South DakotaLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Yes
In South Dakota, Medicaid covers manual and electric breast pumps from 28 weeks of pregnancy with a practitioner's order and no prior authorization.
Breast pump rules in South Dakota and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in South Dakota 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 South Dakota

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in South Dakota

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in South Dakota?

South Dakota Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $29,863 a year for a household of two, $37,702 for three and $45,540 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 South Dakota Medicaid cover you after birth?

12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since July 1, 2023.

Can I get covered the same day in South Dakota?

South Dakota 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 South Dakota?

Apply with South Dakota Department of Social Services at eaportal.sd.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 South Dakota Medicaid pay for a doula?

In South Dakota, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $1,800 per pregnancy for prenatal and postpartum visits billed by the quarter hour, 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 South Dakota Department of Social Services and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at eaportal.sd.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.South Dakota Medicaid: how to apply South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of South Dakota State Plan Amendment SD-23-0008 (12-month postpartum coverage), effective 2023-07-01 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 21 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 Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 13.South Dakota Medicaid Billing and Policy Manual: Doula Services (updated December 2025) South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.South Dakota Medicaid Doula Services Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026 (Power BI report) South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.South Dakota Medicaid Fee Schedules South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.South Dakota Medicaid Provider Enrollment South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 17.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.
  10. 18.South Dakota Medicaid Billing and Policy Manual: Obstetrical Services (updated September 2026) South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 19.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 20.South Dakota Medicaid Billing and Policy Manual: DMEPOS (updated January 2026) South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 21.South Dakota Medicaid Pregnancy Handbook (MS10) South Dakota Department of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.