Georgia PeachCare for Kids: Eligibility, Premiums, Benefits 2026

If you are raising a grandchild in Georgia, PeachCare for Kids is the state program that can cover that child's health care. It is Georgia's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), open to children up to 247 percent of the federal poverty level, with modest income-based premiums and no premium at all for children under age six.1

Raising a grandchild or other young relative often means becoming responsible for their health coverage, sometimes with little warning. PeachCare for Kids is the program that fills the gap for working-income households in Georgia: it covers a child whose household earns too much for children's Medicaid but cannot easily afford private insurance. This guide answers the questions a caregiver in that situation actually has, the income limits, what the premiums cost in 2026, what is covered, and exactly how to apply.

Key Takeaways

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• Who Georgia PeachCare for Kids Covers
• 2026 Income Limits
• What the Premiums Cost in 2026
• What Copays Apply
• What Georgia PeachCare for Kids Covers
• How PeachCare Compares to Children's Medicaid
• How to Apply
• Renewals and Keeping Coverage
• If a Child Has a Disability: Katie Beckett
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Who to Call in Georgia
• Learn More

Who Georgia PeachCare for Kids Covers

PeachCare for Kids is Georgia's separate CHIP program. The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) administers it, and the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) handles eligibility intake. It covers uninsured children up to age 18, eligible until the 19th birthday, whose household income is too high for children's Medicaid but at or below 247 percent of the federal poverty level.2

For a grandparent or relative caregiver, the important point is that eligibility is based on the child's household, not on whether you are the legal parent. You do not need to adopt the child or hold formal legal custody to apply on their behalf. When DFCS determines eligibility, it looks at the income of the household the child lives in and the people the child counts as part of their tax household under the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) rules. Many children raised by relatives qualify because they are counted in a smaller, lower-income household than they were in before.

The child must be a Georgia resident, a U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant, and currently uninsured. PeachCare is for children who do not have other comprehensive coverage.

2026 Income Limits

Georgia sets children's coverage by age, with children's Medicaid covering the lower-income bands and PeachCare covering the gap above those limits up to 247 percent of the federal poverty level. The figures below are the ones Georgia itself publishes for Right from the Start Medicaid (RSM), so they are what a DFCS caseworker will apply. National comparison tables list somewhat different Georgia percentages because they are built on a different methodology; for what your household will actually be told at application, use Georgia's own numbers.2

In 2026, Georgia's children's Medicaid limits are 220 percent of the federal poverty level for infants under age one, 149 percent for children ages 1 through 5, and 205 percent for children under age 19. PeachCare for Kids then covers eligible children with household income above those limits up to 247 percent of the federal poverty level.2

To put 247 percent in dollar terms, the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of four is $33,000 per year, so 247 percent of that is about $81,510 in annual household income. A household of four earning up to roughly that amount can qualify a school-age child for PeachCare.3,2

If the household earns more than 247 percent of the federal poverty level, the child is not eligible for PeachCare and should instead look at coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, where Advance Premium Tax Credits can lower the cost.

What the Premiums Cost in 2026

PeachCare charges a monthly premium per child on a six-tier sliding scale based on household income as a percentage of the federal poverty level, with a monthly cap on what one family pays. The 2026 schedule from the Georgia DFCS policy manual is below.

No premium and no copayment is charged for children under age six, children in foster care, or American Indian or Alaska Native children.1

If you are a relative caregiver on a fixed or limited income, the per-child cap matters: a grandparent raising two grandchildren in the same income tier pays only up to the family cap for that tier, not double the per-child amount. Premiums are billed monthly, and an unpaid premium keeps accruing, with a quarterly statement sent to you.1 A missed premium does not, on its own, end the child's coverage in the middle of a 12-month continuous eligibility period: federal law keeps a child enrolled until that period ends, the child turns 19, or the child stops being a Georgia resident.4 Still, set up a reliable payment method when you enroll so the balance does not build up.

Older relatives age 55 and over who are raising a child under 18 are also an eligible group under the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which funds services such as counseling, caregiver training, and respite care. States and Area Agencies on Aging decide how those dollars are split, so what is available near you varies.5

What Copays Apply

PeachCare charges small copays for some non-preventive services, while preventive care such as well-child visits and immunizations has no cost-sharing. Each Georgia Families plan publishes the copay schedule its own members pay, and the published schedules are not identical, so check the child's plan for the exact amounts. For PeachCare members age six and over, the published copays include $2.00 for a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or rural health clinic visit, $3.00 for an outpatient or ambulatory surgery service, $12.50 for an inpatient hospital stay, and $0.50 for a preferred prescription drug. Children under age six in PeachCare have no copays.6

Those copays are capped in total at 5 percent of family income, so a family's out-of-pocket exposure is limited even across multiple children and many visits.6

What Georgia PeachCare for Kids Covers

Georgia built the PeachCare benefit package to track children's Medicaid closely, so the practical coverage is comprehensive. A child enrolled in PeachCare receives:

• Well-child visits on the Bright Futures schedule and immunizations on the CDC schedule
• Primary, sick, and specialty care, including pediatric subspecialists
• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care and emergency services
• Prescription drugs through the managed care plan's formulary
• Behavioral health with mental health parity, including therapy, psychiatric care, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for autism
• Dental, including cleanings, fillings, and medically necessary orthodontia
• Vision, including eye exams and eyeglasses
• Hearing services, including hearing aids and cochlear implants when medically necessary
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Durable medical equipment and non-emergency medical transportation

For a relative caregiver managing a child's existing conditions, the behavioral health and therapy coverage is often the most valuable: a child who needs counseling after a difficult family transition, or who has a developmental or learning need, can access those services without separate private coverage.

How PeachCare Compares to Children's Medicaid

The day-to-day coverage is similar, but a few differences matter to a caregiver deciding what a child qualifies for.

Children's Medicaid is free, with no premiums and minimal copays, and it carries the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) entitlement. For enrollees under age 21, EPSDT requires Medicaid to cover the treatment needed to correct or ameliorate a condition found through a screening, whether or not the state plan otherwise covers that service.7 PeachCare has the modest premiums and copays described above, and as a separate CHIP program it is not itself an EPSDT program, though Georgia built its PeachCare benefit package to track children's Medicaid closely.

The two programs are funded differently as well. Georgia's regular federal Medicaid match (the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP) for federal fiscal year 2026 is 66.40 percent, while the enhanced CHIP match Georgia receives for PeachCare is 76.48 percent. The higher federal share is part of why states like Georgia run a separate CHIP program.8

A change in household income can move a child between children's Medicaid and PeachCare, but that move is a renewal-time event, not a mid-year one: during a child's 12-month continuous eligibility period, a rise in income does not end the child's coverage.4

How to Apply

You can apply for PeachCare for Kids on a child's behalf as a relative caregiver. Enrollment is open year-round, so there is no window to miss.

As of July 2026, Georgia Families runs through three Care Management Organizations: Amerigroup Community Care, CareSource, and Peach State Health Plan. WellCare is no longer a separate Georgia Families plan. A 2024 reprocurement is still working through the protest process, and the current three plans have been extended through June 30, 2027, so confirm current plan options through Georgia Gateway or DCH Member Services when you enroll.11

Renewals and Keeping Coverage

Under section 5112 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, effective January 1, 2024, every state must give children under age 19 in Medicaid and CHIP 12 months of continuous eligibility. A child stays covered for the full 12 months even if household income rises during the year; the period ends early only if the child turns 19 or stops being a Georgia resident.4

At the end of the 12 months, an annual renewal is required. DCH tries to renew automatically using electronic data first; if that fails, you receive a renewal packet. The most common way caregivers lose coverage is a missed renewal because a notice went to an old address, so keep your mailing address current with DFCS. You can renew through Georgia Gateway or by phone.

If a Child Has a Disability: Katie Beckett

If you are raising a child with a significant disability, look at Katie Beckett, also called TEFRA, in addition to PeachCare. Katie Beckett lets a child with a severe disability qualify for full Medicaid based on the child's own income rather than the household's, when the child needs an institutional level of care but can be cared for at home. Katie Beckett has its own age rule, separate from PeachCare's: Georgia makes it available to children 18 years of age and younger, and eligibility does not extend past the month the child turns 19, closing the month after.12

For many families of children with disabilities, Katie Beckett is preferable to PeachCare because it opens full Medicaid with the EPSDT entitlement, which is stronger leverage when a needed service is denied. See our companion guide for the full pathway.

Who to Call in Georgia

Learn More

Find personalized help enrolling a grandchild in PeachCare for Kids at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.