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Having a baby in Florida

Medicaid and WIC income limits, paid leave, doula and lactation coverage, breast pumps and childcare prices in Florida, with the agency and link to apply for each.

Checked October 2026 · 31 sources

Short answer

Florida Medicaid covers pregnancy for incomes up to 196% of the poverty level, about $42,414 a year for you and one baby, and for 12 months after birth. WIC takes households of two earning up to $40,034. Florida has no state paid family leave program. Florida Medicaid pays for a doula. Full-time infant care at a center runs about $11,700 a year (2022 prices).

What you can get in Florida

The short answer for each benefit, with its source. Tap Details for income limits, how to apply and the fine print.

Yes

Can Medicaid cover your pregnancy in Florida?

In Florida, Florida Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 196% of the federal poverty level (about $42,414 a year for a household of two); Medicaid postpartum coverage lasts 12 months.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, income limits as of January 2026Details
Yes

Can you get WIC in Florida?

Yes, if your household's income is at or below $40,034 a year for two people (you and your baby). If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already qualify. Apply by phone or in person.

Source: Florida Department of Health, October 2026Details
Voluntary

Does Florida have paid family leave?

Florida has no state paid family leave program. A 2023 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Source: Florida Department of State / Laws of Florida, October 2026Details
Yes

Does Florida Medicaid pay for a doula?

In Florida, every Medicaid health plan offers doula services as an extra benefit, with visits and pay set by each plan; moms in fee-for-service Medicaid aren't covered.

Source: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, October 2026Details
Limited

Does Florida Medicaid cover a lactation consultant?

In Florida, Medicaid doesn't pay for lactation consultant visits, but three managed care plans offer virtual lactation support as an extra benefit.

Source: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, October 2026Details
Limited

Does Florida Medicaid cover a breast pump?

In Florida, Medicaid covers an electric breast pump only when a mother is separated from her baby for work, school or a medical reason, and prior authorization is required.

Source: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, October 2026Details

Medicaid for pregnancy in Florida

Yes

196%

of the federal poverty level is the upper income limit

KFF, January 2026

12 mo

of Medicaid coverage after birth

KFF, July 2026

Program
Florida Medicaid
Agency
Florida Department of Children and Families
Medicaid limit
196% of the poverty level
12-month postpartum coverage since
July 1, 2022
Presumptive eligibility
Not confirmed. Ask the clinic or hospital.

Florida did not report presumptive eligibility in KFF's January 2025 survey. Florida's 12-month postpartum coverage runs through a section 1115 waiver; CMS made it effective on the effective date of Florida SB 2526 (July 1, 2022). Florida Medicaid is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration; the Department of Children and Families (ACCESS Florida) takes applications.

Apply for Florida Medicaid Check your income
Florida Medicaid income limit by household size196% of 2026 guidelines (48 states and DC)
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$42,414$3,535
3$53,547$4,462
4$64,680$5,390
5$75,813$6,318
6$86,946$7,246
7$98,078$8,173

Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting. Gross household income; Florida rounds and updates on its own schedule, so treat these as approximate. Compare every state

Sources: KFF State Health Facts; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; KFF; Florida Department of Children and Families; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data as of October 2026.

WIC in Florida

Yes

Florida WIC gives pregnant and new parents, babies and children under 5 healthy food, nutrition help and breastfeeding support. You qualify on income at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines, and you may already qualify if you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF.

Program
Florida WIC
Agency
Florida Department of Health
Phone
(800) 342-3556
Apply online
No. Apply by phone or in person.

  1. Call your WIC office

    Contact a WIC agency where you live to start, by phone or online. The agency schedules an in-person or virtual appointment to finish the application and nutrition check.

  2. Go to your appointment

    In person or virtual. Staff finish your application and do a free health and nutrition check.
Florida WIC WIC limits for every state
WIC income limits, 48 states and DCJuly 2026 to June 2027
HouseholdPer yearPer month
1$29,526$2,461
2$40,034$3,337
3$50,542$4,212
4$61,050$5,088
5$71,558$5,964
6$82,066$6,839

Gross household income. Count each unborn baby as a household member.

Sources: Florida Department of Health; USDA Food and Nutrition Administration; USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Data as of October 2026.

Doula coverage in Florida

Yes

In Florida, every Medicaid health plan offers doula services as an extra benefit, with visits and pay set by each plan; moms in fee-for-service Medicaid aren't covered.

Payment
No state fee schedule. Doula services are an optional 'expanded benefit' that each Medicaid managed care (SMMC) health plan offers and pays for under rates it negotiates with doulas. All 8 SMMC health plans list doula services on AHCA's grid effective 2/1/2025.
Doula certification required
Set by each Medicaid health plan (no state doula certification or Medicaid doula credential)
Notes
Florida counts as covering doulas because all 8 Medicaid health plans offer doula services, but it's an optional plan extra (an 'expanded benefit'), not part of the State Plan. AHCA's 'Health Plan Expanded Benefits Grid' (effective 2/1/2025) checks 'Doula Services' for all 8 health plans: Aetna Better Health of Florida, Community Care Plan, Florida Community Care, Humana Medical Plan, Molina Healthcare, Simply Healthcare Plans, Sunshine State Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare. Visit counts, payment and doula credentialing vary by plan. AHCA tells members to contact their plan for details. Moms in fee-for-service Medicaid (not in a plan) have no doula benefit. All three 2026 doula bills died on 3/13/2026: SB 514 (pilot) in Appropriations, SB 1508 in Health Policy, and HB 1043 in subcommittee (Senate companion SB 1456 died too). Doulas join by contracting with each plan; there's no state doula enrollment page. The member link goes to AHCA's page on plans' extra benefits.

Medicaid can't charge cost sharing for pregnancy-related services, so covered doula care costs you nothing. You usually need a recommendation from a doctor, midwife or other licensed provider, and a doula in your health plan's network. Checked October 2026; rates often change January 1 and July 1, so confirm with Florida Medicaid.

Florida Medicaid member information

1,012

doulas listed in Florida

CMS NPPES and state doula lists

Doulas in FloridaDoula coverage in every state

Sources: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration; The Florida Senate; National Health Law Program (NHeLP); National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP); eCFR / Code of Federal Regulations. Data as of October 2026.

Lactation support in Florida

Limited

In Florida, Medicaid doesn't pay for lactation consultant visits, but three managed care plans offer virtual lactation support as an extra benefit.

Where
telehealth
Notes
Lactation support is offered only as an SMMC expanded (value-added) benefit, "Virtual Pregnancy and Lactation Support", which the AHCA expanded benefits grid (effective 2/1/2025) marks for Community Care Plan, Humana Medical Plan and UnitedHealthcare; the plan assignments are read from the grid's checkmark columns. No lactation-specific code (S9443) appears in the 2026 Practitioner Fee Schedule and no lactation service was found in the FFS coverage policies. This matches KFF's 2021 report of no lactation consultant coverage.

Florida Medicaid member information

443

lactation consultants listed in Florida

CMS NPPES

Lactation consultants in FloridaLactation coverage in every state

Sources: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration; KFF. Data as of October 2026.

Breast pumps through Florida Medicaid

Limited

In Florida, Medicaid covers an electric breast pump only when a mother is separated from her baby for work, school or a medical reason, and prior authorization is required.

Pump types
personal electric; hospital-grade rental
Prior authorization
Required
Prescription
Required
When you can get one
Electric pump (E0603): 1 per 5 years; hospital-grade rental (E0604): 3 months max
Notes
Florida Medicaid covers an electric pump only when a nursing mother has prolonged separation from her infant due to work, school or a medical reason, and a hospital-grade pump only for a breast infection or an infant born before 37 weeks; both carry a prior authorization flag on the July 2026 DME fee schedule. No manual pump code (E0602) is on the fee schedule. All eight SMMC plans list a "Prenatal Services" expanded benefit that may include hospital-grade breast pumps, and Simply Healthcare Plans lists "Nursing Mothers Support Items".

Florida Medicaid member information

Sources: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration; KFF. Data as of October 2026.

Childcare costs in Florida

$11,700

a year ($225 a week), the median for infant care at a center

DOL state estimate, 2022

$9,100

a year ($175 a week) in a family childcare home

DOL state estimate, 2022

Full-time provider prices before any subsidy, in 2022 dollars. The national median for center infant care was $12,647 a year. Prices cover 58 of 67 counties. 2 county infant center prices were not surveyed in 2022; DOL estimated them from the price trend between other survey years.

Center infant care, lowest and highest county2022 prices
CountyPer year
Palm Beach Countyhighest$15,860
Suwannee Countylowest$6,760

53 of 67 counties have a center infant price.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Data as of October 2026.

Questions about having a baby in Florida

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in Florida?

Florida Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 196% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 poverty guidelines that's about $42,414 a year for a household of two, $53,547 for three and $64,680 for four. Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting.

How long does Medicaid cover you after birth in Florida?

Florida Medicaid covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since July 2022.

What is the WIC income limit in Florida?

From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, Florida WIC uses USDA's limits: $40,034 a year for a household of two, $50,542 for three and $61,050 for four. If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already meet the income rule. Call 1-800-342-3556 to apply.

Does Florida have paid family leave?

Florida has no state paid family leave program. A 2023 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Does Florida Medicaid pay for a doula?

In Florida, every Medicaid health plan offers doula services as an extra benefit, with visits and pay set by each plan; moms in fee-for-service Medicaid aren't covered.

How much does infant daycare cost in Florida?

The median price for full-time infant care at a center in Florida was $225 a week, about $11,700 a year, in 2022 (U.S. Department of Labor). Prices have risen since, so treat it as a floor and look up your county.

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.Florida Medicaid: how to apply Florida Department of Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of Florida Managed Medical Assistance section 1115 amendment (12-month postpartum extension) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.Florida SB 2526 (2022), Health: effective date 7/1/2022 The Florida Senate. 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.
  9. 9.Florida WIC (state WIC page) Florida Department of Health. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 10.Florida WIC: state agency contact USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 11.WIC: 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (91 FR 23050, Apr. 29, 2026) USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 12.Chapter 2023-149, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/HB 721): paid family leave insurance Florida Department of State / Laws of Florida. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 13.Florida Statutes § 624.6086 Paid family leave insurance defined; issuance and purchase Florida Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 14.Florida Statutes § 627.445 Paid family leave insurance Florida Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 15.State paid family and medical leave contributions and benefits (Feb. 6, 2026) Mercer Law & Policy Group. Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 31 sources
  1. 16.2025-2030 SMMC Plans: Expanded Benefits Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 17.SMMC 3.0 Health Plan Expanded Benefits Grid (effective 2/1/2025) Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 18.SB 514 (2026) Doula Support for Healthy Births pilot - bill history The Florida Senate. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 19.SB 1508 (2026) The Motherhood Initiative - bill history The Florida Senate. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 20.HB 1043 (2026) doula workforce development - bill history The Florida Senate. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 21.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 22.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.
  8. 23.42 CFR 447.56(a)(2)(ii), exemptions from Medicaid cost sharing: pregnancy-related services eCFR / Code of Federal Regulations.
  9. 24.SMMC Model Health Plan Contract Attachment I, Scope of Services - Update July 1, 2026 (Table 3: Approved Expanded Benefits) Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 25.2026 Practitioner Fee Schedule Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 26.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 27.Florida Medicaid Durable Medical Equipment and Medical Supply Services Coverage Policy: Specialized (Rule 59G-4.072) Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 28.Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Medical Supply Services Provider Fee Schedule for All Medicaid Recipients, July 1, 2026 Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 29.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 30.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  16. 31.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.

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