12-Month NJ FamilyCare Postpartum Coverage

NJ FamilyCare is New Jersey's Medicaid and CHIP program. Members who qualify through the pregnancy pathway are guaranteed coverage throughout pregnancy and for 12 months after delivery or the end of the pregnancy.

Coverage does not stop shortly after birth. You keep comprehensive NJ FamilyCare coverage for a full year, and a change in income does not end that guaranteed postpartum coverage during the period.

For pregnancy eligibility you must be a New Jersey resident, meet the applicable citizenship or lawful-presence rules, and have family income at or below 205% of the federal poverty level. As a 2026 example, that is about $5,638 per month for a family of four.

Comprehensive coverage: primary and specialty care, hospital care, behavioral health and substance-use treatment, prescriptions, transportation to covered appointments, breastfeeding equipment, dental and vision, and doula services. Most members receive care through a managed care organization (MCO).

Throughout pregnancy and for 12 months after delivery or the end of the pregnancy. Income changes during that period do not end the guaranteed postpartum coverage.

NJ FamilyCare is described as free or low-cost. New Jersey does not publish a single universal copay rule for every member, so confirm any cost with NJ FamilyCare or your health plan rather than assuming.

You can apply year-round: online, by phone at 1-800-701-0710 (TTY 711), or through your County Social Services office. At month 12 you renew, so respond to renewal notices.

Information establishing New Jersey residency, income, pregnancy, and your citizenship or lawful-presence status as the application requests.

The 12-month guarantee applies to people who qualify through the pregnancy pathway. At the end of the 12 months your eligibility is reviewed again, so the coverage you have afterwards depends on that renewal.

Coverage is usually delivered through an MCO, and the plan controls which providers are in network. Health coverage is separate from paid leave and job protection, which run through the Department of Labor.

Use your MCO's provider directory and confirm with the office that the provider takes your specific NJ FamilyCare plan. Being an NJ FamilyCare provider does not mean being in every plan's network.

The NJ FamilyCare line, 1-800-701-0710, works with live translators, so you can ask questions about eligibility and coverage in your language.

Other routes may include Get Covered NJ, the Medical Emergency Payment Program, the NJ Supplemental Prenatal and Contraceptive Program, and Federally Qualified Health Centers or Charity Care where applicable.