When she noticed an unusual craving for hot dogs, Matte’a Brooks suspected her body was telling her something, so she decided to take a pregnancy test.
She took two just to be sure. Both were positive.
“I was definitely scared,” said Brooks, 23, who was uninsured when she got the news last winter. “I was like, OK … I’m pregnant, so where do I go from here?”
Until then, she hadn’t thought much about health care, but that changed when she found out that her daughter was on the way.
The mix of joy, anxiety, and excitement she felt mirrors what many new parents feel at this time of year. August is the month with the most births in the U.S., according to CDC data from 2023 — which means January and February are when a lot of Americans find out they’re expecting.
A growing body of research shows that prenatal care can make a huge difference to the long-term health of both the parent and baby. This is part of why every state offers health coverage to pregnant women who meet income requirements and might otherwise go uninsured.
As a result, Medicaid pays for more than 40% of all births in the U.S. and an even higher percentage in rural areas, according to KFF. But Medicaid also comes with limitations, and providers may restrict how many Medicaid patients they take since the payments are substantially lower than other insurers’.
Here are three things to know about signing up for Medicaid when pregnant.
- Pregnancy makes you a priority.
Usually, to sign up for government health care, you have to meet a number of requirements that vary widely by state. Your income has to be below a certain threshold. And in several states, most adults cannot qualify, regardless of income, if they’re not disabled or the parent of a child.
But the math is different for pregnancy. In Tennessee, for example, the income cutoff for coverage more than doubles if you’re pregnant compared to some other eligible groups. So if you didn’t qualify for Medicaid previously and are now pregnant, it’s worth double-checking your state’s requirements.
- Getting coverage can be surprisingly easy.
To apply, you’ll likely need to provide proof of income, your Social Security number, and proof of residency. Brooks, an Illinois resident, told HealthQ that she found the sign-up process surprisingly easy. She learned about Medicaid from the provider at her initial prenatal visit.
“ They asked if I had insurance. I didn’t know anything at the time,” she said. The nonprofit clinic gave her some phone numbers for the state Medicaid agency. She called and went to an in-person appointment to complete her application. She walked out of the office with coverage. In 28 states, pregnancy results in “presumptive eligibility,” which provides immediate coverage — even without confirmation of the pregnancy — while the application goes through the approval process.
- Coverage can go beyond standard medical care.
Medicaid provides all prenatal care at no out-of-pocket cost and usually a full year of postpartum care. That’s what happened to Brooks: Her appointments, medications, and delivery were completely free for her.
Benefits vary by state, but many also cover dental, vision, and mental health care. Ashley Farrell, who lost her job when she was pregnant and applied to Medicaid in Georgia, said she received “rewards for going to your appointments,” including grocery cards and a breast pump.
People and policy: Some maternal health advocates are worried about how proposed Medicaid cuts, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, will affect pregnancy coverage. Though it’s unclear when or how, some states could choose to scale back their coverage eligibility or offerings for expecting mothers.
HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News. Katherine Ruppelt contributed to this reporting.
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