Building blocks for your baby
Protein and foods rich in iron and folate — beans, leafy greens, eggs, lean meat and whole grains — support your baby’s growth and help keep your iron up.
Pregnancy & postpartum · Medicaid food benefit
Eating well for two, and after the baby arrives — covered by Medicaid.
If you are pregnant or recently had a baby and have New York Medicaid, you may be able to get a weekly box of groceries or cooked meals delivered at no cost to you, planned with a registered dietitian. If approved, pregnant and postpartum members receive 12 months of food support, twice as long as most members.
Delivered in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. It does not replace or reduce WIC or SNAP.
Why food matters now
What your body needs, in pregnancy and postpartum
Your dietitian adjusts the plan to you. These are some of the things we focus on.
Regular meals, steadier energy
Three meals and small snacks spread through the day help keep your energy steady and can make nausea easier to manage. If you have gestational diabetes, your dietitian will talk it through with you.
Calcium and fluids
Milk, yogurt or fortified alternatives for calcium, and plenty of water throughout the day.
Feeding yourself postpartum
Recovery and breastfeeding take extra energy, just when there is the least time to cook. That is when ready-to-heat meals help most.
What you can get
A grocery box, cooked meals, and a dietitian
Food prescription box
A weekly box of groceries with the ingredients for 21 balanced meals per enrolled member, covering all six food groups.
See what’s inside a box →Cooked meals
Ready-to-heat meals planned for your needs, especially helpful in the weeks after the birth.
See how ready-made meals work →A registered dietitian
An assessment with you, a food plan that fits your pregnancy or postpartum recovery, and someone to ask when things change.
12 months of support, not 6
Once you are approved, food support for pregnant and postpartum members runs for 12 months, with no need to ask for an extension partway through. Most other members are approved for 6 months at a time. In some cases it can be extended further.
Good to know
It works alongside what you already have
Keep your WIC and SNAP
This is a Medicaid benefit. It does not reduce or replace WIC, SNAP or anything else you receive.
Your family too
Other people in your home with their own Medicaid can be enrolled too, each with food that fits their needs.
Halal, kosher and your language
Certified halal and kosher food, and a team that speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek and Hebrew.
On Medicaid but no health plan yet?
That is called Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS). For many people it is only a starting point. Food and the other supports on this site are for members of a Medicaid health plan. Most people with New York Medicaid must join one, and it is free. If you get a letter asking you to choose and you don’t, a plan will be chosen for you, so it is better to choose yourself.
- Call to choose a plan. New York Medicaid Choice: 1-800-505-5678. Is your Medicaid case with NY State of Health? Call 1-855-355-5777 or use your online account.
- Wait for your plan to start. It usually starts on the 1st of a month, a few weeks after you choose. Until then, use your state card, and keep it after your plan starts too: you need it at the pharmacy.
- Call us when it starts. 718-737-2252. We will screen you and check what you can get.
Any regular Medicaid health plan works, including HARP, and MBD Care does not choose a plan for you. Have Medicare, other full health insurance, emergency-only Medicaid, or a spenddown (you pay part of your medical bills each month)? The rules are different, so call us and we will check.
Step-by-step guide →How it works
From your first call to your first delivery
1
Reach out
Call us or fill in our short eligibility form. Your doctor, midwife or care manager can also refer you.
2
Quick screening
We confirm your Medicaid, your address and your due date or your baby’s birth.
3
Assessment
A registered dietitian talks with you about your pregnancy or postpartum recovery and the food that fits.
4
Delivery
Groceries or cooked meals at your door, within a week of your assessment.
Questions
Questions from pregnant members and new moms
How far along do I need to be?
You can reach out at any stage of pregnancy. We check your eligibility during a short screening and arrange the rest.
I just had my baby. Can I still apply?
Yes, you can apply. New mothers may qualify during the postpartum period too. Call us and we will go through your situation during the screening.
I just got Medicaid and do not have a health plan yet. Can I still get food?
Many people start with Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS), without a plan. To get food through this program, you need to be in a Medicaid health plan. Most people with New York Medicaid must join one, and if you don't choose after the state asks you to, one will be chosen for you, so it is better to choose yourself. Call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-800-505-5678, or NY State of Health at 1-855-355-5777 if your Medicaid case is with NY State of Health. The plan usually starts on the 1st of a month, a few weeks after you choose. You can call us at any time and we will go through the steps with you.
How long does the food support last?
If approved, support for pregnant and postpartum members lasts 12 months, with no need to ask for an extension partway through. Most other members are approved for 6 months at a time. In some cases it can be extended further.
I have gestational diabetes. Can the food help?
Tell us during your screening. Your dietitian will discuss it with you at your assessment and look at how your food can be adjusted to help keep your blood sugar steady.
Will this affect my WIC or SNAP?
No. The food comes through your Medicaid and does not reduce or replace WIC, SNAP or any other benefit you already receive.
Can my other children or family members get food too?
When each person has their own Medicaid, we usually enroll each one individually, so everyone gets food that fits their own needs. Where that does not fit, we can set the household up together.
Do I need a note from my doctor?
It depends on your situation, and we will tell you during the screening. If a doctor’s attestation is needed, we provide the paperwork.
How soon does food arrive?
Usually within two weeks of first reaching out. Once your nutrition assessment is done, your first delivery arrives within a week, and sometimes as soon as the next day.
Do you have halal and kosher food?
Yes. Halal meals are certified by the American Halal Foundation and kosher meals come from kitchens under rabbinical supervision.
More questions? See our Medicaid food benefits Q&A or which Medicaid plans qualify.
Expecting, or just had your baby?
Let’s get food to your door
One call is enough to find out whether you qualify.
Or email info@mbd.care · Care managers: how to refer