On this page9 sections
- Key takeaways
- How long does Medicaid last after you give birth?
- Which states have 12-month postpartum Medicaid?
- What does postpartum Medicaid cover?
- What happens when your 12 months end?
- Do Medicaid work requirements apply to new moms?
- Questions to ask your Medicaid agency or health plan
- Questions people ask
- Sources
Key takeaways
- Federal law guarantees pregnancy Medicaid through the end of the month in which the 60th day after pregnancy falls. States can extend it to 12 months, an option the American Rescue Plan created and Congress made permanent in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
- As of July 15, 2026, KFF counts 49 states and DC with a 12-month extension in place. Arkansas has none. Wisconsin's took effect July 1, 2026.
- During the extension you get full Medicaid benefits, the same package as other adults on Medicaid, not just pregnancy-related care.
- A baby born to a mother on Medicaid is automatically eligible for Medicaid for one year.
- Medicaid work requirements start by January 1, 2027 for expansion adults, but the law exempts people who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum coverage, and parents of children 13 and under.
If you were on Medicaid while pregnant, you can most likely keep it for a full year after your pregnancy ends. As of July 15, 2026, 49 states and DC have extended postpartum Medicaid to 12 months, and Arkansas is the only state without the extension [1]. Medicaid pays for about 4 in 10 births in the U.S. [1], so this affects a lot of families.
Here's how long coverage lasts, what it covers, what happens at month 12, and how the new Medicaid work requirements apply to you.
How long does Medicaid last after you give birth?
The federal minimum is about 60 days. Every state has to keep pregnancy Medicaid going through the end of the month in which the 60-day period after your pregnancy ends [1][2].
Most states now go to 12 months. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 gave states the option to extend postpartum coverage to 12 months, starting April 1, 2022, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 made that option permanent [1]. Under the extension, coverage runs through the last day of the month in which the 12-month period after your pregnancy ends [2].
Here's an example. If your pregnancy ends on March 10, 2026:
| Your state | Coverage lasts through |
|---|---|
| 12-month extension (49 states and DC) | March 31, 2027 |
| No extension (Arkansas) | May 31, 2026, the end of the month in which the 60-day period ends |
To qualify, you need to have been eligible for and received Medicaid while you were pregnant, and that includes retroactive coverage [2]. If you apply after the birth and Medicaid covers you back to a month when you were still pregnant, you get the postpartum extension too. Don't wait: for most applications made on or after January 1, 2027, retroactive coverage reaches back only two months before the month you apply, down from three [3].
Which states have 12-month postpartum Medicaid?
As of KFF's July 15, 2026 update, every state except Arkansas, plus DC, has a 12-month extension in effect [1]. The most recent addition was Wisconsin, where 12-month coverage took effect July 1, 2026. Wisconsin automatically extended coverage for members who were pregnant or within 60 days postpartum as of May 31, 2026 [4].
If you live in Arkansas, pregnancy Medicaid still ends after the 60-day postpartum period. Arkansas has expanded Medicaid to low-income adults [5], so ask the state's Department of Human Services whether you qualify for that coverage before your pregnancy coverage ends.
Income limits, application steps and state agency contacts are on our Medicaid for pregnancy page. To check whether you qualify in the first place, try the benefits checker.
What does postpartum Medicaid cover?
Full benefits, not just pregnancy care. States that take the 12-month option must give you full Medicaid benefits, at least equal to the state's standard Medicaid package, during pregnancy and for the full 12 months after [2]. Coverage isn't limited to care tied to the birth.
That matters because postpartum health needs don't stop at six weeks. ACOG recommends contact with your obstetric provider within the first 3 weeks after birth, ongoing care as needed, and a comprehensive postpartum visit no later than 12 weeks after birth [6]. That visit should cover mood and emotional well-being, infant feeding, birth control and birth spacing, sleep, physical recovery and any chronic conditions [6].
During your postpartum year, use the coverage for:
- Postpartum checkups, including follow-up for blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions that started in pregnancy
- Mental health care. If you're struggling, see our guide to getting help for postpartum depression
- Birth control
- Lactation support and doula visits, if your state's Medicaid program covers them
Exact benefits, such as adult dental care, vary by state. Your Medicaid health plan's member handbook lists what's covered.
Your baby has separate coverage. A child born to a mother who is on Medicaid on the date of birth is deemed eligible for Medicaid for one year [2]. Report the birth to your state Medicaid agency or health plan right away so your baby gets their own ID number.
What happens when your 12 months end?
Before your state ends your coverage, it has to consider every other way you might qualify for Medicaid. If you don't qualify, it has to check whether you can get other coverage, such as a Marketplace plan [7]. Federal rules also require the state to try to renew you using information it already has. If it can't, it must send you a renewal form, pre-filled with what it knows, and give you at least 30 days to return it [7]. If your coverage ends because you didn't send the form, the state must reconsider your case without a new application if you return it within 90 days [7].
Where you might land next:
| Your situation | What to look into |
|---|---|
| You live in one of the 41 states (including DC) that expanded Medicaid | Medicaid for low-income adults, with income up to 138% of the poverty level [5][8] |
| You live in one of the 10 states that didn't expand: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin or Wyoming | Medicaid for parents, if your income is low enough. KFF notes people are more likely to lose coverage after the postpartum period in non-expansion states [5][1] |
| Your income is too high for Medicaid | A Marketplace plan. On HealthCare.gov, losing Medicaid or CHIP lets you enroll within 90 days [9] |
| You have a job with health benefits | Your employer's plan. Ask HR how losing Medicaid affects your enrollment window |
Before month 12, do this:
- Update your address, phone and email with your Medicaid agency so the renewal notice reaches you.
- Open and answer every letter from Medicaid. Return any renewal form within the deadline [7].
- If you're told you no longer qualify, ask whether you were checked for every Medicaid group, including parents and low-income adults.
- Line up your next coverage early, so you don't have a gap in mental health care, prescriptions or follow-up visits.
Do Medicaid work requirements apply to new moms?
Not during pregnancy or your postpartum coverage. The 2025 budget reconciliation law, signed July 4, 2025, requires states to add work or "community engagement" requirements for adults in the Medicaid expansion group: generally 80 hours a month of work, community service, job training or school, or a minimum income [3]. States must start by January 1, 2027, and can start earlier [3][8].
The law exempts several groups, including [3]:
- People who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum Medicaid
- Parents, guardians, caretaker relatives and family caregivers of a child 13 or under, or of a person with a disability
- People who are medically frail, including those with a disabling mental disorder or a substance use disorder
So if your postpartum year ends and you move into the expansion group as a parent of a young child, you should still be exempt. Make sure your state has your child's information on file.
The same law requires states to check eligibility every 6 months, instead of every 12, for adults in the expansion group, starting with renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027 [3]. If you move into that group after your postpartum year, expect more frequent renewal paperwork.
Questions to ask your Medicaid agency or health plan
"I had a baby on (date) and I'm on pregnancy Medicaid. Can you tell me:
- What date does my postpartum coverage end?
- Has my baby been added, and what is the baby's Medicaid ID number?
- When will I get my renewal notice, and how do I return it?
- What other Medicaid groups could I qualify for after my postpartum coverage ends?
- Does my plan cover postpartum mental health care, lactation support and doula visits?"
Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and any reference number.
Questions people ask
How long does Medicaid last after you have a baby?
In 49 states and DC, 12 months after your pregnancy ends, through the end of that month. In Arkansas, pregnancy Medicaid ends at the end of the month in which the 60th day after birth falls, though you may qualify again through another Medicaid group.
Do I need to reapply for postpartum Medicaid?
Usually not. If you had Medicaid while pregnant in a state with the 12-month extension, you stay covered through the postpartum year. Keep your address and phone number current so you get your renewal notice before the year ends.
Is my baby covered by Medicaid too?
Yes. A child born to a mother who is on Medicaid on the date of birth is deemed eligible for Medicaid for one year. Report the birth to your Medicaid agency or health plan so your baby gets an ID number.
Do Medicaid work requirements apply to new moms?
Not while you're pregnant or in your postpartum coverage period. The 2025 law exempts people who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum Medicaid, and it also exempts parents and caretakers of children 13 and under.
What happens when my 12 months of postpartum Medicaid end?
Your state reviews whether you qualify for Medicaid in another group, such as low-income adults or parents. If you don't, you can buy a Marketplace plan: on HealthCare.gov, losing Medicaid opens a 90-day special enrollment period.
Sources
Numbers in brackets in the guide link to these sources.
- 1.Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension TrackerKFF, 2026
- 2.42 U.S. Code 1396a - State plans for medical assistanceLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (U.S. Code)
- 3.Public Law 119-21 (2025 budget reconciliation law), Sections 71107 and 71119U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2025
- 4.Gov. Evers, DHS Celebrate Extended Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Now in Effect for Wisconsin Moms and FamiliesOffice of the Governor of Wisconsin, 2026
- 5.Status of State Medicaid Expansion DecisionsKFF, 2026
- 6.Optimizing Postpartum Care (Committee Opinion No. 736)American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 2018
- 7.42 CFR 435.916 - Regularly scheduled renewals of Medicaid eligibilityLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (Code of Federal Regulations)
- 8.Medicaid Work Requirements Tracker: OverviewKFF, 2026
- 9.Special Enrollment Period (SEP)HealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
