Illinois Medicaid
HFS Medical Programs
Apply or call
HFS Medical Programs covers pregnant women up to 213% of the federal poverty line — roughly $55,000 annual income for a family of three in 2025. The state adopted Medicaid expansion in 2014. Apply at https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/ or call 1-800-843-6154.
On maternal health specifically: HFS Medical Programs has extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (effective 2021-12-01), and covers doula services through Medicaid at up to $1,450 per full perinatal package (effective 2024-04-01).
Illinois was the first state in the country to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (April 2021 under Section 1115 waiver, converted to a State Plan Amendment December 2021). Chicago Birthworks Collective and the Chicago Birthing Project serve Black pregnant people across Cook County.
Key facts at a glance
- Pregnant women eligible up to 213% FPL ($55,000 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: $1,450 per full perinatal package.
- Postpartum Medicaid extended to 12 months (effective 2021-12-01).
Illinois Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
HFS Medical Programs covers pregnant women up to 213% of the federal poverty line — $55,000 annual income for a family of three in 2025.
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/ or by phone at 1-800-843-6154. Federal law requires a 45-day decision on non-disabilit…
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
HFS Medical Programs covers doula services at up to $1,450 per full perinatal package, effective 2024-04-01.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
HFS Medical Programs extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2021-12-01.
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
HFS Medical Programs covers pregnancy-related care up to 213% of the federal poverty line — about $55,000 annual income for a family of thr…
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
HFS Medical Programs redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% o…
For Black families
Roughly 595,000 Black residents are enrolled in HFS Medical Programs, 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.
Illinois was the first state in the country to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (April 2021 under Section 1115 waiver, converted to a State Plan Amendment December 2021). Chicago Birthworks Collective and the Chicago Birthing Project serve Black pregnant people across Cook County.
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/il/.
More on Illinois from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Illinois
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in Illinois
Filter our directory to Illinois by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in Illinois
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Data sources
- HFS Medical Programs — 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: