Medicaid after birth · 2026

Postpartum Medicaid coverage by state (2026)

Name: This Mom baby money dataset (2026)
Creator: This Mom
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

49 states and DC now keep Medicaid or CHIP coverage for 12 months after a pregnancy ends. Arkansas is the only state still at the federal minimum of 60 days. Wisconsin’s 12-month coverage started July 1, 2026. A baby born to a mother on Medicaid is covered automatically until the first birthday, with no application.

By This Mom · Last verified October 5, 2026 · Sources linked on this page · Data free to reuse (CC BY 4.0)

50 of 51states + DC with 12 months of coverage

60 daysin Arkansas, the federal minimum

July 1, 2026Wisconsin joined

Age 1newborns covered with no application

Medicaid and CHIP coverage after pregnancy, by state (as of October 2026)
State	Coverage after pregnancy	How the state did it	Document
Alabama	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Alaska	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Arizona	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Arkansas	60 days (federal minimum)	Not extended	source
California	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Colorado	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Connecticut	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Delaware	12 months	State plan amendment	source
District of Columbia	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Florida	12 months	Section 1115 waiver	source
Georgia	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Hawaii	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Idaho	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Illinois	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Indiana	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Iowa	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Kansas	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Kentucky	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Louisiana	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Maine	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Maryland	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Massachusetts	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Michigan	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Minnesota	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Mississippi	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Missouri	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Montana	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Nebraska	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Nevada	12 months	State plan amendment	source
New Hampshire	12 months	State plan amendment	source
New Jersey	12 months	Section 1115 waiver	source
New Mexico	12 months	State plan amendment	source
New York	12 months	State plan amendment	source
North Carolina	12 months	State plan amendment	source
North Dakota	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Ohio	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Oklahoma	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Oregon	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Pennsylvania	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Rhode Island	12 months	State plan amendment	source
South Carolina	12 months	State plan amendment	source
South Dakota	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Tennessee	12 months	Section 1115 waiver	source
Texas	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Utah	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Vermont	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Virginia	12 months	Section 1115 waiver	source
Washington	12 months	State plan amendment	source
West Virginia	12 months	State plan amendment	source
Wisconsin	12 months (since July 1, 2026)	State action	source
Wyoming	12 months	State plan amendment	source

What does 12 months of postpartum coverage mean?

If Medicaid or CHIP covered you while you were pregnant, you stay covered for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, even if your income goes up. Without an extension, federal law only requires coverage through 60 days after the pregnancy ends.

Why do almost all states offer it now?

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 let states extend postpartum coverage to 12 months from April 2022. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 made that option permanent. Most states adopted it through a state plan amendment; Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia used a Section 1115 waiver or their own authority.

Is my baby covered too?

Yes, if you had Medicaid when you gave birth. Federal rules cover the baby from birth to the first birthday without an application, even if your situation changes. Report the birth to your state Medicaid office so the baby gets an ID card. See the newborn paperwork checklist for the other deadlines.

Sources: KFF Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (as of July 15, 2026, compiling CMS approvals), state documents linked in the table, 42 CFR 435.117 (newborns), Public Law 117-328, sec. 5113.

Last verified October 5, 2026 against official sources: KFF tracker, Wisconsin Governor (July 2026), each state Medicaid document.

Cite this page: This Mom, “Postpartum Medicaid Coverage by State (2026)”, thismom.com/postpartum-medicaid-by-state/ (updated 2026-10-05). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.