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Key takeaways
- Employer plans must give you at least 30 days after a birth to enroll your baby, and coverage must start on the date of birth.
- On a Marketplace plan, you have 60 days after the birth to add your baby, and coverage can start the day your baby was born.
- A baby born to a mother who is eligible for and receiving Medicaid is covered until their first birthday without an application. Report the birth so your baby gets their own ID number.
- Social Security says about 99% of infant Social Security numbers are assigned through the hospital birth registration process. You'll need the number for the Child Tax Credit and the Trump Account.
- U.S. citizen children born from 2025 through 2028 with a Social Security number can get a $1,000 Treasury deposit in a Trump Account. A parent elects it on Form 4547.
The first weeks with a newborn are a blur, and the paperwork has real deadlines. Miss the insurance window and you could be stuck until open enrollment. Skip the Social Security number and you can't claim the Child Tax Credit or the $1,000 Trump Account deposit.
Here's what to do, in order, with the deadline for each step.
Your after-birth checklist, with deadlines
| When | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| At the hospital | Ask for a Social Security number on the birth certificate form | The easiest way to get one, used for about 99% of babies [4] |
| Right away | If you're on Medicaid, report the birth to your state or health plan | Your baby is already covered, but needs their own ID number [3] |
| Within 30 days | Add your baby to your employer health plan | Federal minimum window; coverage starts on the date of birth [2] |
| Within 30 days | Ask HR about changing your FSA and other benefit elections | A birth lets your employer allow mid-year changes [9] |
| Within 60 days | Add your baby to your Marketplace plan | Special enrollment window; coverage can start on the day of birth [1] |
| First few weeks | Apply for WIC for your baby (and yourself) | Infants qualify, and so do you for up to 6 months postpartum, or a year if breastfeeding [6] |
| First few weeks | Order certified copies of the birth certificate | They come from your state's vital records office, not the hospital [5] |
| As soon as you can | File your paid family leave bonding claim, if your state has a program | State deadlines vary; see our paid family leave guide |
| When the SSN arrives | Elect a Trump Account and the $1,000 pilot deposit on Form 4547 | For U.S. citizen children born 2025 through 2028 [7][8] |
| When the SSN arrives | Update your W-4 and plan to claim the Child Tax Credit | The IRS lists childbirth as a reason to check withholding [10][11] |
| Before your coverage ends | Note your postpartum Medicaid end date and plan your next coverage | See our guide to postpartum Medicaid |
Add your baby to your health insurance
Employer plans: at least 30 days. Federal rules require job-based group health plans to give you at least 30 days after a birth to request enrollment for your baby. Coverage must begin on the date of birth [2]. Some plans allow longer, so check your benefits guide, but don't count on it. If you or your spouse weren't enrolled before, the birth can also let you enroll along with the baby [2].
Marketplace plans: 60 days. If you have a plan through HealthCare.gov or your state's marketplace, having a baby qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. Your baby's coverage can start the day they were born, even if you enroll up to 60 days afterward [1].
What to have ready: your baby's full legal name, date of birth and, when you have it, the Social Security number. If the number hasn't arrived yet, ask whether you can add the baby now and send it later.
Medicaid for your newborn
If you're on Medicaid, your baby already is. Under the federal deemed newborn rule, a baby born to a mother who was eligible for and receiving Medicaid on the date of birth is covered from birth until their first birthday without an application. That holds even if the mother's Medicaid only covered emergency services, and the baby stays covered even if the family's circumstances change during that year, as long as the baby still lives in the state [3].
Report the birth anyway. Claims can be paid under the mother's Medicaid ID until the state issues your baby a separate number, and the state must issue that number before the mother's coverage ends or the baby's first birthday, whichever comes first [3]. Calling your Medicaid agency or health plan now gets your baby into the system before you need a pediatrician visit or a prescription filled.
If you're not on Medicaid, your baby may still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. In some states, CHIP covers children in families that earn too much for Medicaid, well-child and dental checkups are free, and total costs are capped at 5% of family income. You can apply any time of year through HealthCare.gov or your state Medicaid agency [12].
Your own coverage matters too. Postpartum Medicaid has an end date, and our guide to postpartum Medicaid explains how to find yours and what comes next.
Get your baby's Social Security number and birth certificate
Say yes at the hospital. Through Enumeration at Birth, you can apply for your baby's Social Security number as part of the hospital birth registration. The hospital sends the information to your state vital records office, which passes it to Social Security, and the card is issued automatically. About 99% of babies get their SSN this way [4]. You'll get a receipt, Form SSA-2853, so keep it [4].
If you skip it, you'll have to gather proof documents, fill out an SS-5 application and visit or mail original documents to a Social Security office [4]. Avoid that if you can.
Order the birth certificate from your state. The hospital reports the birth to your state [4], but certified copies come from the vital records office in the state where your baby was born. CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records page links to each state's office and its ordering rules [5]. Order a few copies.
WIC for your baby (and you)
WIC covers infants and children up to their fifth birthday. It also covers you for up to 6 months after your pregnancy ends, or until your baby's first birthday if you're breastfeeding [6]. If you or your baby get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already be income eligible [6].
If you were on WIC during pregnancy, call your WIC office to add the baby. If not, you can apply now. Our WIC page has income limits and contacts by state.
Claim the $1,000 Trump Account deposit
Trump Accounts are a new kind of savings account for children. The federal pilot program puts $1,000 from the Treasury into the account of a child who [8]:
- Was born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029
- Is a U.S. citizen
- Has a Social Security number
- Hasn't already had a pilot election processed
How to elect it. The IRS says to sign in to your IRS account with ID.me and submit Form 4547, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes and needs your child's SSN, date of birth and address [7]. You can also file Form 4547 with your e-filed tax return or, if you must, on paper [8]. A legal guardian, parent, adult sibling or grandparent can make the election, in that order of priority [8].
What happens next. Treasury deposits the $1,000 as soon as practicable after the election is made and the account is open, but not before July 4, 2026 [8]. Family and others can add up to $5,000 a year, and an employer can contribute up to $2,500 a year, which counts toward that limit [8]. Withdrawals are generally restricted during the account's growth period, which ends on December 31 of the year before the year your child turns 18 [8].
Leave, benefits and taxes
File your paid leave claim. If your state has paid family leave, bonding leave usually requires its own claim. Deadlines and benefit amounts vary by state; start at our paid family leave by state page.
Change your FSA and benefit elections. Federal cafeteria plan rules count a birth as a change in status that lets your employer allow mid-year election changes, as long as the change matches the event [9]. Ask HR for the deadline, and consider a dependent care FSA if you'll be paying for childcare.
Update your W-4. The IRS lists childbirth among the life changes that should prompt a withholding check, and its Tax Withholding Estimator can generate a pre-filled W-4 for your employer [10].
Plan for the Child Tax Credit. The IRS currently lists the credit at up to $2,200 per qualifying child, and up to $1,700 of it can be refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit [11]. Your child needs a Social Security number valid for employment, issued before your return's due date, including extensions [11]. That's one more reason to request the SSN at the hospital.
For what to buy and set up at home, see the full list of free baby stuff from real programs, including cribs, car seats and diapers.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to add my newborn to my insurance?
With an employer plan, at least 30 days after the birth; some plans allow longer. With a Marketplace plan, 60 days. In both cases coverage can start on the day your baby was born, so you won't have a gap if you enroll on time.
Is my newborn automatically covered by Medicaid?
Yes, if you were eligible for and receiving Medicaid on the day your baby was born. Your baby is covered until their first birthday without an application. Report the birth to your state Medicaid agency or health plan so your baby gets their own Medicaid ID.
How do I get a Social Security number for my newborn?
The easiest way is to say yes when the hospital asks whether you want an SSN as part of the birth certificate paperwork. The hospital sends the information to your state's vital records office, which passes it to Social Security, and the card is mailed to you.
How do I get a copy of my baby's birth certificate?
Order certified copies from the vital records office in the state where your baby was born. The federal government doesn't issue birth certificates. CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records page links to every state's office.
Who gets the $1,000 Trump Account deposit?
A child born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029 who is a U.S. citizen with a Social Security number. A parent or other authorized person makes the election on IRS Form 4547, online through an IRS account or with a tax return.
Sources
Numbers in brackets in the guide link to these sources.
- 1.Special Enrollment PeriodHealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- 2.29 CFR 2590.701-6, Special enrollment periodsU.S. Department of Labor, via eCFR
- 3.42 CFR 435.117, Deemed newborn childrenCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, via eCFR
- 4.RM 10205.505, Enumeration at Birth Process (POMS)Social Security Administration
- 5.Where to Write for Vital RecordsNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC)
- 6.WIC EligibilityUSDA Food and Nutrition Administration
- 7.Trump AccountsInternal Revenue Service (IRS), 2026
- 8.Instructions for Form 4547, Trump Account Election(s) (Rev. 12-2025)Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 2026
- 9.26 CFR 1.125-4, Permitted election changesInternal Revenue Service, via eCFR
- 10.Tax Withholding EstimatorInternal Revenue Service (IRS)
- 11.Child Tax CreditInternal Revenue Service (IRS), 2026
- 12.Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)HealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
