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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

Children’s Health Insurance

Free and low cost health insurance is available for children in Washington State through the Medicaid and S-CHIP programs. This insurance provides medical, dental, vision and mental health benefits, with no deductibles or co-pays. Coverage may be free for lower-income families. The program is available for both citizen and non-citizen children.

  • To see if you qualify and to apply, use the Benefit Finder, or call the Family Health Hotline 1-800-322-2588.

photo of mother and baby laughing

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.

  • To see if you qualify and to apply, use the Benefit Finder, or call the Family Health Hotline 1-800-322-2588.

Basic Health

Basic Health is a low cost health insurance program for low-income Washington State residents. Currently there is a waiting list for this program.

Washington Health Program – NEW

Washington Health is a new program offered by Basic Health. It is another option for affordable and reliable health insurance with fewer restrictions and low costs. If you live in Washington, you and your family may qualify for the Washington Health Program. This unique program offers multiple levels of health insurance coverage. Members maintain low deductibles with coverage for basic health services such as routine office visits, immunizations, preventive screenings and more.

Additional health services available for WA residents:

Low-cost Community Clinics

Some clinics provide medical care to individuals without health insurance at reduced cost, 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 low-cost clinic:

  • Call the Family Health Hotline 1-800-322-2588
  • Use the Resource Finder – click the Community & Low Cost Clinics link.

Prescription Assistance

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

  • 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.

Advice about Private Insurance (SHIBA Program)

You may be able to purchase a private health insurance plan for yourself or your child. To learn more about health insurance options, contact the WA State Insurance Commissioner’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA Program):