Skip to main content
The Mom Site

Washington Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for Apple Health, the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with Washington State Health Care Authority.

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

Apply for Apple Health

Washington State Health Care Authority 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 hca.wa.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In Washington, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid if your household earns up to 215% of the poverty level: about $46,526 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth.

Washington pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. Apple Health covers pregnancy up to 215% of the federal poverty level.

Apple Health income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$46,526$3,877
3$58,738$4,895
4$70,950$5,913
5$83,162$6,930
6$95,374$7,948
7$107,586$8,966
8$119,798$9,983

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 Washington, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $58,738 a year ($27,320 × 215%).

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

  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 Washington State Health Care Authority

    Apply on the state's site (hca.wa.gov). Go to the Apple Health 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

    Apple Health 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.

Washington 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 Apple Health coverage after birth, since April 1, 2022

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What Apple Health 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
Apple Health 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 Washington, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $3,500 per pregnancy for an intake visit and up to 20 hours of prenatal and postpartum visits, plus support during labor and delivery.We list 980 doulas in Washington.
Doulas in WashingtonDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Limited
In Washington, Apple Health has no separate lactation consultant benefit, and breastfeeding support comes through Maternity Support Services.
Lactation consultants in WashingtonLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Yes
In Washington, Apple Health covers one manual or electric breast pump every three years without prior authorization.
Breast pump rules in Washington and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in Washington 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 Washington

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in Washington

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in Washington?

Apple Health covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 215% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $46,526 a year for a household of two, $58,738 for three and $70,950 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 Apple Health 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 Washington?

Washington 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 Washington?

Apply with Washington State Health Care Authority at hca.wa.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 Apple Health pay for a doula?

In Washington, Medicaid covers doula care: up to $3,500 per pregnancy for an intake visit and up to 20 hours of prenatal and 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 Washington State Health Care Authority and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at hca.wa.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.Apple Health: how to apply Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of Washington State Plan Amendment WA-22-0012 (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 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.Doulas (Apple Health birth doula benefit) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.Birth Doula Services Billing Guide (effective July 1, 2026) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.Birth Doula Services Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.Birth Doulas (state certification) Washington State Department of Health. 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.Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Management Billing Guide (July 1, 2026) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 19.Physician-Related Services/Professional Healthcare Services Fee Schedule (Effective October 1, 2026) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 20.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 21.Medical Equipment and Supplies Billing Guide (July 1, 2026) Washington State Health Care Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.