Your personalized checklist
Your matches: coverage & savings
Your biggest financial risk right now is an uncovered delivery — the average hospital birth bills five figures before insurance. This list is ordered accordingly: lock in coverage first, then collect everything else.
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1.Pregnancy Medicaid — check it even if you were denied before
Prenatal + delivery coveredPregnancy Medicaid uses higher income limits than regular Medicaid in most states, and coverage now continues 12 months postpartum in 49 states plus DC. Applications are retroactive in many states (they can cover recent bills). This is the single highest-value application on this page.
2.Marketplace plan — birth is a qualifying life event
Subsidized premiumsHaving a baby opens a 60-day special enrollment window to join or switch marketplace plans, and premium tax credits can cut the cost dramatically at moderate incomes. If you're pregnant and uninsured now, check whether your state offers a pregnancy special enrollment period — several do.
3.Community health centers — prenatal care on a sliding scale
Visits from $0–$50HRSA-funded community health centers provide prenatal care on a sliding fee scale based on income — no insurance required. There are 1,400+ organizations running 15,000+ sites nationwide.
4.Hospital financial assistance — up to 240 days to apply
Bills reduced or erasedEvery nonprofit hospital must maintain a written financial assistance policy (IRS 501(r)): free care commonly extends to ~200% of the poverty line with sliding-scale discounts above it, and you generally have at least 240 days from the first bill to apply. Ask billing for the "financial assistance application" — and don't pay a large bill before checking.
5.WIC — higher income limit than people assume
≈$50–$120/mo per personWIC's limit is 185% of the poverty line — about $61,000/yr for a family of four under 2026 guidelines — which covers many working families who assume they earn too much. Groceries, formula, and breastfeeding support, for pregnancy through age 5.
6.Free breast pump once you're covered
$100–$300 valueOnce you have Medicaid or a marketplace plan, the ACA requires it to cover a breast pump at $0 out of pocket. A supplier checks your insurance and handles the paperwork — takes about two minutes.
7.Child Tax Credit — $2,200 per child (2026)
$2,200/yr per childThe Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per qualifying child for tax year 2026, with up to $1,700 refundable even if you owe little tax. A baby born any time during the year counts for the full amount — just make sure you get a Social Security number for them (apply with the birth-certificate paperwork at the hospital).
8.New: $1,000 federal newborn deposit (born 2025–2028)
$1,000 one-timeThe federal pilot program deposits $1,000 into an invested account for U.S.-citizen children born 2025 through 2028. You claim it with your tax return (new Form 4547), online, or in many states right at hospital birth registration. Families can add up to $5,000/yr on top. Details are still settling — verify on the official site before filing.
9.Free registry welcome box
$35+ in samplesA free baby registry unlocks a welcome box of samples once you add a handful of items — no shower needed — plus a completion discount on whatever's left near your date.
10.Term life insurance — price it while it's cheap
Often $15–40/moOnce the coverage dust settles: term life is how a young family protects the next 20 years, and online-first providers quote in minutes with no medical exam for many applicants. Compare more than one quote.
Common questions
I'm pregnant and uninsured — is it too late to get covered?
No. Pregnancy Medicaid accepts applications any time (and is retroactive in many states), community health centers see you on a sliding scale immediately, and birth itself opens a 60-day marketplace enrollment window.
What if my income is too high for Medicaid but insurance still feels unaffordable?
Check marketplace premium tax credits (they extend well into middle incomes), then the hospital's financial assistance policy for the delivery itself, and community health centers for prenatal visits.
Will the hospital really reduce my bill?
Nonprofit hospitals are legally required to have a financial assistance policy and to publicize it. People who apply frequently see bills cut substantially — but you must apply; it is not automatic.
Situation different than these answers? Retake the quiz — or browse our in-depth guides.
Program rules, income limits, and amounts change (WIC and SNAP tables update annually) and vary by state. Figures reflect 2026 guidance at time of writing. Always confirm details with the official program before making decisions. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, medical, insurance, or financial advice.