Ways to apply for Healthy Louisiana
These are the channels Louisiana names on its own Medicaid pages. Use whichever is easiest.
- Online
-
Apply online
sspweb.lameds.ldh.la.gov
- By phone
- Call (888) 342-6207
- By mail
- Get the paper application
- HealthCare.gov
- You can also apply at HealthCare.gov any time of year. If anyone in your household looks eligible for Medicaid, it sends your information to Louisiana's agency.
- 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 138% FPL ($35,630 for a family of three in 2025).
- Children 0-5 eligible up to 212% FPL ($54,740 for a family of three).
- Expansion adults eligible up to 138% FPL ($35,630 for a family of three).
- Postpartum Medicaid extended to 12 months (effective 2022-04-01).
Louisiana Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
Healthy Louisiana covers pregnant women up to 138% of the federal poverty line ($35,630 annual income for a family of three in 2025).
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at sspweb.lameds.ldh.la.gov or call (888) 342-6207.
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
Healthy Louisiana does not currently cover doula services through Medicaid; state advocacy for a State Plan Amendment is ongoing.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
Healthy Louisiana extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2022-04-01.
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
Healthy Louisiana covers pregnancy-related care up to 138% of the federal poverty line (about $35,630 annual income for a family of three i…
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
Healthy Louisiana redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% of d…
For Black families
Roughly 605,000 Black residents are enrolled in Healthy Louisiana, 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.
Governor John Bel Edwards expanded Medicaid on his first day in office (June 2016) via Executive Order JBE 2016-01. Birthmark Doula Collective in New Orleans has advocated for a doula Medicaid benefit, and SB 188 (2023) authorized a pilot program: implementation remains pending.
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/la/.
More on Louisiana from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Louisiana
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in Louisiana
Filter our directory to Louisiana by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in Louisiana
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Sickle cell
Medicaid gene-therapy coverage in Louisiana
Does Louisiana Medicaid cover Casgevy + Lyfgenia? SCDAA chapter, comprehensive centers.
Hospitals
Safety-net hospitals in Louisiana
CMS ratings, Medicaid-accepting hospitals, and which facilities anchor care for Black patients.
Tool
Medicaid eligibility pre-check for Louisiana
Household size and income, in about a minute. Direct link to Louisiana’s apply portal.
WIC
WIC in Louisiana
Adjunctive WIC eligibility for everyone on Healthy Louisiana, monthly food package + Cash-Value Benefit.
SNAP
SNAP (food stamps) in Louisiana
Federal food assistance: FY 2025 max benefits, ABAWD rules, application URL for Louisiana.
TANF
TANF cash assistance in Louisiana
Louisiana’s maximum monthly TANF cash benefit, time limits, and how to apply.
Data sources
- Healthy Louisiana — 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:
See a doctor online today.
- Same-day video visits from $34
- Price shown before you book
- No insurance needed
with Sesame Care
Affiliate link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.