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Health Insurance for You and Your Baby

Need Health Insurance? Go and Check your eligibility and apply for programs

It is important to have regular medical care for your baby and for yourself. You will have many questions for your baby’s doctor in these first years.

For your Baby

Your child may qualify for one of the programs below:

Children’s Health Insurance

Washington State provides free and low-cost health insurance for eligible children. Your child will receive medical, dental and vision benefits through the program. If you have children that are non-citizens, new program rules may make your child eligible for this program.

photo of mother and baby laughing

Basic Health Plan

Basic Health is a program that helps eligible Washington State residents purchase low cost health insurance. It covers doctor and hospital care, emergency services and prescription drugs. It does not cover dental or vision services.

For You

You may qualify for one of the programs below:

First Steps (Pregnancy Medicaid)

First Steps is a program offered to eligible pregnant and postpartum women through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and is often called the Pregnancy medical coupon (Medicaid). If you had your baby within the last 3 months, this coupon gives you 10 months of free family planning benefits. You may also be able to get help paying for unpaid medical bills from your pregnancy.

Basic Health

Basic Health is a program that helps eligible Washington State residents purchase low cost health insurance. It covers doctor and hospital care, emergency services and prescription drugs. It does not cover dental or vision services.

Don’t Qualify for the Programs Above?

There are a couple of other options available.

Community Clinics:

Some clinics provide medical care at reduced cost to you, called a sliding scale fee. These clinics provide good care, but the amount you pay may be less if you have less money coming in. To find a community clinic near you call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.

Private Insurance:

It is also possible to purchase a private health insurance plan for your child or yourself. To learn more about private health insurance call the Washington State Insurance Commissioner at 1-800-562-6900.

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