Medicaid is a critical program for pregnant and postpartum patients. Currently, Medicaid covers more than 40 percent of births nationally, and nineteen percent of adult women are enrolled in Medicaid. Together with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid provides more than 1.5 million low-income women access to the pre- and postnatal care that is essential to healthy pregnancies and healthy infants
Medicaid and Pregnancy Care
How do cuts to Medicaid impact pregnant and postpartum care?
In the early morning hours of May 22, the US House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill that would make significant cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and other federal programs to pay for extending tax cuts and boosting investments in the military and border security. The bill would add trillions to the federal deficit.
Even though Congress has promised to protect pregnancy-related care, SMFM has significant concerns about how the bill’s Medicaid provisions will impact pregnant patients and providers of obstetric care.
Potential State Responses to Altering the Federal-State Cost Sharing Structure
To address budget shortfalls created by a change in the cost sharing structure, states may choose to lower Medicaid and CHIP income eligibility limits for pregnant women or eliminate the life-saving postpartum extension.
Further, reductions in federal support could force states to reduce Medicaid provider reimbursement rates, causing maternity care clinicians to leave the program or limit the number of Medicaid patients they care for.
Impact of Changing Program Eligibility or Enacting Barriers to Enrollment
Medicaid cuts that would reduce program eligibility or erect barriers to enrollment threaten to increase uncompensated care and attendant medical debt, which could accelerate closure of labor and delivery units in rural and underserved communities.
Additional closures would increase the number of maternity deserts, counties with limited or no access to maternity care, across the United States.
Take action with SMFM to protect funding for Medicaid!
Schedule a Meeting with Your Senators (with help from SMFM staff)
How are pregnant and postpartum people in your state impacted by Medicaid?
The below maps show various policies and measures that impact your patients ability to access quality care. How does your state compare?