How to Add Your Newborn to Medicaid or CHIP

If your family uses Medicaid or CHIP, there's good news buried in the fine print: getting your baby covered is usually simpler than adding a newborn to a private plan. But "usually automatic" is not the same as "nothing to do." This guide explains how to add your newborn to Medicaid or CHIP — the deemed newborn rule, the difference between the two programs, and the phone call you should still make.

The deemed newborn rule: coverage from day one

Under federal law, a baby born to a mother who was enrolled in Medicaid on the date of delivery is automatically eligible for Medicaid from birth — no separate application required. This is called "deemed newborn" eligibility, and it generally lasts for the baby's entire first year, even if your household income changes during that time. In most states, babies born to mothers covered by CHIP at delivery get similar treatment.

Automatic eligibility doesn't always mean automatic paperwork, though. The hospital or state often starts the enrollment, but the baby still needs to be added to your case and issued their own Medicaid ID number before you can smoothly use their coverage at the pediatrician.

Medicaid vs. CHIP: which one covers your baby?

The two programs work together, and your state decides where your child fits based mostly on household income and family size:

• Medicaid covers children in lower-income households. Infants often qualify at higher income limits than older kids — many states cover babies in families well above the poverty line.
• CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) picks up where Medicaid stops, covering kids whose family income is too high for Medicaid but too low to comfortably afford private insurance. Some states run CHIP as part of Medicaid; others run it as a separate program with its own name.

You don't need to figure out which program fits before applying. One application screens your child for both, and the state routes you to whichever your family qualifies for. Both are free or low-cost — CHIP may charge modest premiums or copays depending on your state and income, but the amounts are capped by law.

How to apply or report the birth

If mom was on Medicaid or CHIP at delivery

• Ask the hospital whether they submitted a newborn notification to the state — many do.
• Call your state Medicaid agency or your managed-care plan to confirm the baby is on your case.
• Ask for the baby's Medicaid ID number and, if your state uses managed care, choose a plan and pediatrician for the baby.

If your family isn't currently enrolled

• Apply any time — Medicaid and CHIP have no open enrollment window; you can apply year-round.
• Apply through your state Medicaid/CHIP agency, or through HealthCare.gov, which forwards your application to your state if your kids look eligible.
• Have basics ready: proof of income, your baby's date of birth, and household information.

One thing you do notneed on day one: a Social Security number. States must let you apply for a newborn while the SSN is still in the mail. If you haven't started that yet, here's how to apply for your baby's Social Security number — the hospital route is the easiest.

What Medicaid and CHIP cover for babies

Children's coverage under both programs is comprehensive. Through a benefit called EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment), Medicaid covers the full schedule of well-child visits, immunizations, and screenings in the first year — which is a lot of appointments — plus sick visits, hospital care, and prescriptions. CHIP benefits are similar, with routine checkups and vaccines typically free even if your state charges copays for other care.

If you have private insurance too

Some families qualify for Medicaid or CHIP alongside an employer plan — for example, using Medicaid as secondary coverage. If a workplace plan is your main route, the process and deadlines are different (and tighter): see our guide on how to add your newborn to health insurance. Either way, the birth itself is the trigger — don't let the newborn haze push insurance to the bottom of the pile. Our step-by-step guides cover every piece of new-baby paperwork in order.

Medicaid and CHIP paperwork is one of a half-dozen tasks competing for your attention in the first weeks. FirstDays puts them all — birth certificate, SSN, insurance, and more — on one deadline-aware checklist so nothing slips. Start free.