District of Columbia program
Health insurance for you, the parent
DC Medicaid also covers eligible parents and relatives caring for a child.
What it is
DC Medicaid also covers eligible parents and relatives caring for a child.
Your child's Medicaid does not insure you. Parents and caretaker relatives can ask for their own coverage on the same application, judged on the lower adult line. If you are over it, the Healthy DC Plan is the next place to look.
Eligibility rules
- Published monthly cells for households of 2 to 5, headed "133% + 5% disregard*".
- District of Columbia.
- Parent or caretaker relative of a child in the home.
What you get
- Covered doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions and mental health care for you.
Adult income examples
- The 2026 monthly limits are $2,489 for two people, $3,142 for three, $3,795 for four and $4,449 for five.
- The parent line fell on January 1, 2026. A parent above it may need a Healthy DC Plan review instead.
If you decide to apply
- Ask the District benefits office to include you as a parent or caretaker relative on the application.
- Have current income information and household relationships ready.
Economic Security Administration: 202-727-5355 · Official page ↗
Good to know
The parent's income line changed in January 2026. Older adult limits can give the wrong answer.
Official sources
“Could I get Medicaid on the same application as our child? What would it cover for me, and could you help me compare it with any coverage I already have?”
Why I’m asking: I want to keep my own medical care covered while caring for our child.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Add yourself to the child's application rather than filing separately.
Your social worker
The social worker can make sure both of you are on the one form.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The Economic Security Administration, on the same application.
- Ask the agency
- “Please check me as a parent or caretaker relative on the same application as my child.”
How to apply
First step: Tick yourself on the same application at districtdirect.dc.gov.
- Tick the parent on the same application as the child.
- If income falls because a parent stops working, report it: the answer can change.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: The same application as the child, at districtdirect.dc.gov or 202-727-5355.
What to gather
The diagnosis letter, the child’s insurance card, and the last two pay stubs cover most applications. The official page lists the rest.
How long: Up to 45 days, like the child's.
What a yes looks like
Your own card and a choice of health plan.
What a no looks like, and the next move
If it is income, look at the Healthy DC Plan or DC Health Link. If a parent stops working, apply again.
Watch out
- This line dropped on January 1, 2026. Old pages still show the higher adult figure.
- The child line and the parent line are far apart in DC: your child can be in while you are out.
Dates that change this
2026-01-01: DHCF states the parent and caretaker-relative limits decreased on January 1, 2026, from the old adult line to 133% of the poverty level plus a 5-point allowance. Older pages still show the higher figures.
2027-01-01: From January 1, 2027 DHCF says most adults aged 19 to 64 without dependent children must do 80 hours a month of work or a similar activity. A parent of a child at home is not in that group, but check it when it starts.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Full DC Medicaid for the parent. The monthly limit is $3,795 for four people and $3,142 for three.
- $2,489/month — Monthly income limit, household of 2
- $3,142/month — Monthly income limit, household of 3
- $3,795/month — Monthly income limit, household of 4
- $4,449/month — Monthly income limit, household of 5
Covers: Doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions and mental health care for the parent
What it costs the family: No published premium.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Income
- Published monthly cells for households of 2 to 5, headed "133% + 5% disregard*"
- Residency
- District of Columbia
- Other
- Parent or caretaker relative of a child in the home
The trap: This line dropped sharply on January 1, 2026. If someone quotes you the old, much higher adult figure, they are reading an old page.
Where I read this
- DHCF — Parents and Caretaker Relatives — DC Department of Health Care Finance, read September 10, 2026
- DHCF — Medicaid Income Limits — DC Department of Health Care Finance, read September 10, 2026
- DHCF — Federal Changes to Medicaid — DC Department of Health Care Finance, read September 10, 2026