Health Insurance for You and Your Baby

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, vision and mental health benefits through the program. The program is available to both citizen and non-citizen children.

• Use the Benefit Finder to see if your child may qualify for Children’s Health Insurance
  
  

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. Currently there is a waiting list to get enrolled in Basic Health.

• Learn more about Basic Health and the waiting list.
  
  

For You

You may qualify for one of the programs below:

First Steps

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.

• Use the Benefit Finder to see if you may qualify for First Steps
  
  

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. Currently there is a waiting list to get enrolled in Basic Health.

• Learn more about Basic Health and the waiting list.
  
  

If You Don’t Qualify

If you don’t qualify for any of the programs above, there are other options:

• 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 clinic, call the Family Health Hotline 1-800-322-2588.

• Private Insurance:
  You may be able to purchase a private health insurance plan for your child or yourself. To learn what’s available you can call the Washington State Insurance Commissioners’ Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) Helpline at 1-800-562-6900.

Prescription Assistance

Washington State offers two prescription assistance programs to help you pay for some or all of the cost of your medicine.

• The free Washington Prescription Drug Program Discount Card gives discounts on all medications to all Washington state residents regardless of age or income. Learn more about the program and enroll online to get the discount card. You can also call 1-800-913-4146.

• Rx Help for WA is a program that helps low-income, uninsured Washington residents get free or discounted medicines. Learn more about the program. You can also call 1-877-923-6779.

Family Planning/Birth Control

You and your partner may be eligible to receive free birth control through a program called Take Charge.

• Call the Family Planning/Take Charge Hotline at 1-800-770-4334 to see if you may qualify for this program.