Healthcare.gov — Adding a baby or child
Birth or adoption opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period to add the child to your Marketplace plan — retroactive to the date of birth.
VisitFamilies & newborns
Get your child covered and connected to care
Handle the enrollment deadline first, understand your coverage choices, then find verified starting points for care and family support.
1What happened?A birth, adoption, coverage change, or new care need.
2What does it mean?You may have a limited enrollment window and several coverage choices.
3Who handles it?Your plan, employer, Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP office.
4What next?Meet the deadline, confirm enrollment, then verify providers.
Start with the closest match. You do not need an account.
Time-sensitive: you have 60 days after birth or adoption
Add your baby to your insurance within 60 days of the birth or adoption date. Coverage is retroactive to day one — but if you miss the window, your next chance is open enrollment, and the hospital bill is on you. Call your insurer or HR the week the baby is born.
What do you need right now?
Marketplace, employer plan, CHIP, or Medicaid. Many children qualify for CHIP even when adults don't qualify for Medicaid.
Insure Kids Now (HHS) — CHIP & Medicaid by state
Find your state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid for kids. Free or low-cost coverage up to age 19.
VisitMedicaid for pregnant women
Most states cover pregnancy at higher income limits than regular Medicaid — often up to 200–300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
VisitWIC — Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program
Free formula, healthy food, breastfeeding support, and referrals for pregnant women, new moms, and kids up to age 5.
VisitVaccines for Children (VFC) Program
Free vaccines for Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, and Native American children under 19. Offered at most pediatricians.
VisitMarketplace — Special Enrollment Period after birth
Having a baby qualifies as a 'life event.' You have 60 days to enroll or change plans without waiting for open enrollment.
VisitChecklist: avoid surprise newborn bills
- Confirm your delivery hospital AND OB-GYN are both in-network on your specific plan — get the rep's name and reference number.
- Ask which anesthesiologist group covers the L&D unit — they're a top cause of surprise bills.
- Pre-register the baby with your insurer the week of birth.
- Choose a pediatrician before discharge — the hospital will ask for one and they must be in-network.
- If the NICU is needed, ask the hospital's financial counselor about Charity Care on day one.
- Request an itemized bill (not a summary) — newborn bills frequently contain duplicate or wrong codes. Use the code lookup tool to decode it.
- If anything looks wrong, you're protected by the No Surprises Act.
Your family coverage checklist
Work the deadline first. Keep confirmation numbers and copies of every enrollment document.
Coverage, special enrollment periods, and subsidy eligibility. Open 24/7.
Official list of every state Medicaid and CHIP office and their contact details.
Non-profit that checks whether your hospital bill qualifies for charity care and helps you apply.
Review common hospital assistance rules.
Free, 24/7 referral line for food, rent, utilities, transport, and medical assistance near you.
Did this help you understand what to do next?
Tell the advocate your state, insurance plan, and child's age — it can help you find pediatricians to verify with your plan, point you to the right CHIP/Medicaid program, and check whether you qualify for WIC or hospital Charity Care.
Get help for my familyWatch for
Meet the enrollment deadline and confirm the effective date in writing.
Educational information only — your plan or agency confirms eligibility and coverage.