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Virginia Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid), the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 22 sources

Apply for Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid)

Virginia Department of Medical Assistance 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 coverva.dmas.virginia.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In Virginia, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid or CHIP if your household earns up to 205% of the poverty level: about $44,362 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth.

Virginia pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) covers pregnancy up to 205% of the federal poverty level.

Medicaid itself goes to 143%. Between 143% and 205%, coverage is through CHIP.

Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdMedicaid to 143%CHIP to 205%
2you + 1 baby$30,945$2,579/mo$44,362$3,697/mo
3$39,068$3,256/mo$56,006$4,667/mo
4$47,190$3,933/mo$67,650$5,638/mo
5$55,312$4,609/mo$79,294$6,608/mo
6$63,435$5,286/mo$90,938$7,578/mo
7$71,557$5,963/mo$102,582$8,549/mo
8$79,680$6,640/mo$114,226$9,519/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 Virginia, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $56,006 a year ($27,320 × 205%).

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

  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 Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services

    Apply on the state's site (coverva.dmas.virginia.gov). Go to the Cardinal Care (Virginia 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

    Cardinal Care (Virginia 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.

Virginia 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 Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) coverage after birth, since November 18, 2021

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What Cardinal Care (Virginia 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
Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) keeps covering you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since November 18, 2021.
Postpartum coverage in every state

Doula care

Yes
In Virginia, Medicaid covers up to 8 prenatal or postpartum doula visits plus attendance at the birth, through 6 months after delivery; current dollar rates aren't published.We list 524 doulas in Virginia.
Doulas in VirginiaDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Yes
In Virginia, Medicaid pays for up to three lactation sessions per provider a year with an IBCLC, billed through an enrolled doctor, midwife, clinic or health department.
Lactation consultants in VirginiaLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Yes
In Virginia, Medicaid covers manual breast pumps without authorization and electric pumps with service authorization, up to the child's first birthday.
Breast pump rules in Virginia and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in Virginia 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 Virginia

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in Virginia

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in Virginia?

Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 205% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $44,362 a year for a household of two, $56,006 for three and $67,650 for four. Medicaid itself goes to 143% ($30,945 for two). Between 143% and 205%, coverage is through CHIP. 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 Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) cover you after birth?

12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since November 18, 2021.

Can I get covered the same day in Virginia?

Virginia 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 Virginia?

Apply with Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services at coverva.dmas.virginia.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 Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) pay for a doula?

In Virginia, Medicaid covers up to 8 prenatal or postpartum doula visits plus attendance at the birth, through 6 months after delivery; current dollar rates aren't published.

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 Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at coverva.dmas.virginia.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.Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid): how to apply Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of Virginia FAMIS MOMS and FAMIS Select section 1115 amendment (12-month postpartum coverage) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.Cardinal Care Pregnancy and Postpartum Coverage Cover Virginia (DMAS). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 8.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.
Show all 22 sources
  1. 9.42 CFR 435.603(b), definition of family size eCFR (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 10.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.
  3. 11.SHO #26-001: Implementation of Section 71109 "Alien Medicaid Eligibility" (April 8, 2026) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 12.42 CFR 447.56(a)(2)(ii), exemptions from Medicaid cost sharing: pregnancy-related services eCFR / Code of Federal Regulations.
  5. 13.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.Community Doula Program Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.Virginia State Plan Amendment 21-0013 approval (doula services) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services / CMS. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.Community Doulas for Medicaid Members (benefit overview flyer, 2022) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 17.DMAS HCPCS Medical procedure fee file (T1032/T1033 listed as IC) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 18.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.
  11. 19.Breast Pumps and Lactation Consultation Services Provider Fact Sheet (RVSD12032015) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 20.Provider Manual: Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies, Chapter IV: Covered Services and Limitations (Revision 12/5/2025) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 21.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 22.Provider Manual: Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies, Appendix D: Service Authorization (Revision 9/24/2026) Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.