Ways to apply for Health First Colorado
These are the channels Colorado names on its own Medicaid pages. Use whichever is easiest.
- Online
-
Apply online
co.gov
- By phone
- Call 1-800-221-3943
- In person
- County of residence local county office or a local application assistance site.
- By mail
- Get the paper application
- Decision time
- Federal rules give the state up to 45 days to decide, or 90 days if you apply based on a disability (42 CFR 435.912).
Read on the state's own pages, October 13, 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- Pregnant women eligible up to 200% FPL ($51,640 for a family of three in 2025).
- Children 0-5 eligible up to 147% FPL ($37,960 for a family of three).
- Expansion adults eligible up to 138% FPL ($35,630 for a family of three).
- Doula reimbursement: $2,700 per full perinatal package.
- Postpartum Medicaid extended to 12 months (effective 2022-04-01).
Colorado Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
Health First Colorado covers pregnant women up to 200% of the federal poverty line ($51,640 annual income for a family of three in 2025).
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at co.gov or call 1-800-221-3943.
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
Health First Colorado covers doula services at up to $2,700 per full perinatal package, effective 2024-07-01.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
Health First Colorado extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2022-04-01.
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
Health First Colorado covers pregnancy-related care up to 200% of the federal poverty line (about $51,640 annual income for a family of thr…
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
Health First Colorado redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% …
For Black families
Roughly 55,000 Black residents are enrolled in Health First Colorado, per the most recent CMS T-MSIS analytic file. The number understates true eligibility: every state has Black eligibles who aren't currently enrolled, usually because of the administrative-churn rates that rose sharply during the 2023 unwinding.
House Bill 22-1289 authorized Medicaid doula coverage; reimbursement of up to $2,700 per package launched July 2024. Elephant Circle and Sacred Seeds of Colorado have led perinatal workforce development for Black and Indigenous birth workers.
For enrollment help: look for your state's Navigator program (federally funded under the ACA), a Federally Qualified Health Center in your county (every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff), or one of the named community organizations below. Our FQHC directory filters to this state at /clinics/co/.
More on Colorado from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Colorado
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in Colorado
Filter our directory to Colorado by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in Colorado
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Sickle cell
Medicaid gene-therapy coverage in Colorado
Does Colorado Medicaid cover Casgevy + Lyfgenia? SCDAA chapter, comprehensive centers.
Hospitals
Safety-net hospitals in Colorado
CMS ratings, Medicaid-accepting hospitals, and which facilities anchor care for Black patients.
Tool
Medicaid eligibility pre-check for Colorado
Household size and income, in about a minute. Direct link to Colorado’s apply portal.
WIC
WIC in Colorado
Adjunctive WIC eligibility for everyone on Health First Colorado, monthly food package + Cash-Value Benefit.
SNAP
SNAP (food stamps) in Colorado
Federal food assistance: FY 2025 max benefits, ABAWD rules, application URL for Colorado.
TANF
TANF cash assistance in Colorado
Colorado’s maximum monthly TANF cash benefit, time limits, and how to apply.
Data sources
- Health First Colorado — state Medicaid portal.
- KFF State Health Facts, Medicaid income eligibility + expansion + enrollment tables (kff.org/statedata).
- National Health Law Program doula Medicaid project (healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject).
- March of Dimes Report Card, 12-month postpartum extension tracker (marchofdimes.org/report-card).
- CMS T-MSIS Analytic Files, Medicaid enrollment by race and ethnicity (medicaid.gov/dq-atlas).
- HHS Poverty Guidelines, 2025 Federal Register release.
Data refreshed:
If you have Medicaid, the coverage on this page is the route to use first: it costs you nothing and it is what these programs exist for. If you are not covered yet, there is still a free option. Our directory of free and charitable clinics lists centers by state. The option below is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid. It is here for readers who are between coverage or who prefer to pay out of pocket:
Sesame Care
See a doctor online today.
Same-day video visits from $34
See a doctor today