Quick answer
Every ACA plan covers pregnancy, maternity and newborn care, including prenatal visits, labor and delivery, and care for your baby. Insurers can’t turn you down or charge you more because you’re pregnant. Timing is the catch: in most states, pregnancy doesn’t let you sign up for a new plan outside open enrollment. Medicaid accepts applications any time and covers about 4 in 10 births in the U.S.
Key takeaways
- Maternity and newborn care are essential health benefits on every ACA plan, and job-based plans cover them too.
- Prenatal screenings and breastfeeding support are free preventive care on most plans.
- Pregnancy is a qualifying event for a special enrollment period in only a few states. The birth of your baby qualifies everywhere.
- Medicaid covers pregnancy in every state, with higher income limits than for most adults, and nearly every state now covers you for 12 months after birth.
- People with job-based coverage paid about $2,743 out of pocket for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, on average.
On this page
What maternity coverage includes
| Stage | What’s covered |
|---|---|
| Before birth | Prenatal visits, screenings like gestational diabetes tests, lab work and ultrasounds |
| Labor and delivery | Hospital or birth center care, doctors and midwives, anesthesia |
| After birth | Postpartum visits, breastfeeding support and a breast pump |
| Your baby | Newborn care in the hospital, then well-baby visits once your baby is on a plan |
Screening for gestational diabetes and other prenatal screenings are free preventive care. Your delivery counts as a hospital stay, and medications go through your drug coverage. For pumps, see does health insurance cover breast pumps.
What it costs
A KFF analysis found that pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care cost an average of $20,416 for women with employer coverage, and they paid about $2,743 of it out of pocket. Newborn care in the first three months added about $475 out of pocket. What you’ll pay depends on your deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum, which is up to $10,600 for one person in 2026. If you’re choosing a plan while pregnant or planning, a plan with a lower deductible may cost less overall.
Your coverage options
Job-based coverage
Plans from employers with 15 or more workers must cover pregnancy like any other condition, and small-group ACA plans include maternity care. See is it cheaper to get health insurance through your employer. If you’re on a parent’s plan as a dependent, your prenatal care is covered, but the plan doesn’t have to cover labor and delivery, and your baby may not be eligible. Check before your due date.
Marketplace plans
Every Marketplace plan covers maternity care, and you can buy one through HealthCare.gov, your state’s exchange or outside the exchanges. Pregnancy counts as a pre-existing condition, which ACA plans can’t use to deny you or raise your rate. Premiums depend on your age, location, tobacco use and plan level; see how health insurance rates are determined.
You can sign up during the open enrollment period or after a qualifying event. In most states, pregnancy alone isn’t one. As of September 2026, pregnancy opens a special enrollment period in Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Medicaid and CHIP
Medicaid covers prenatal care, delivery and postpartum care in every state, and you can apply any time. Income limits for pregnant women are higher than for most adults, and your expected baby counts in your household size, which can help you qualify. Coverage usually lasts 12 months after birth in nearly every state. Many states also cover lawfully residing immigrants who are pregnant without the usual five-year wait. See health insurance for low-income families and the cheapest ways to get health insurance.
Medicare
If you’re on Medicare because of a disability, Medicare covers your pregnancy care.
Plans to be careful with
Short-term plans, fixed-indemnity plans, health care sharing ministries and discount plans don’t have to cover maternity care, and most don’t. Discount programs can lower some bills, but they aren’t insurance; see health insurance discounts.
After your baby arrives
The birth opens a special enrollment period in every state: 60 days on the Marketplace, with coverage back to the birth date, and at least 30 days on a job-based plan. Add your baby right away. See covering all family members under the same policy and health insurance for children.
Related guides: what it costs to have a baby and how to add a newborn to your health insurance.
Compare plans that cover maternity care: see quotes by ZIP code.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get health insurance if I’m already pregnant?
Yes. You can’t be denied or charged more. You’ll need open enrollment, a qualifying event, or a state that treats pregnancy as a qualifying event, or you can apply for Medicaid any time.
Is pregnancy a qualifying life event?
Only in a few states. The birth of your baby is a qualifying event everywhere.
Does my parent’s plan cover my pregnancy?
It covers your prenatal care, but it may not cover labor and delivery or your baby. Ask the plan.
How much does it cost to have a baby with insurance?
It depends on your plan. KFF found people with employer coverage paid about $2,743 out of pocket on average for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov: What Marketplace health insurance plans cover
- Healthinsurance.org: Do all health insurance plans cover maternity?
- Healthinsurance.org: States where pregnancy is a qualifying event
- KFF: Health costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care
- KFF: Medicaid postpartum coverage extension tracker
- HealthCare.gov: Special enrollment period
This article is general information, not medical advice. Last reviewed September 2026.