Left Behind

An estimated 42% of births are to people on Medicaid. However, in current federal policy, many immigrants are excluded from Medicaid. Through open-ended interviews with 31 policymakers, researchers, and program administrators, we examined state variations in approaches to providing care for pregnant, post, and intrapartum immigrant women.

Research findings

  1. Immigrants ineligible for Medicaid are able to get care via a patchwork of state-level safety-net programs.

  2. Patchwork coverage leads to patchwork care, which can contribute to maternal health inequities

  3. Medicaid policy for immigrants is built on hierarchy of “deservingness” based on documentation status

  4. The political climate may substantially influence enrollment and Medicaid benefits regardless of eligibility criteria.

To read the article, click here.

To cite this article: Fox A, Howell FM, Weber E, Janevic T. Left Behind: Medicaid Immigrant Exclusions and Access to Maternal Health Care Across the Reproductive-Perinatal Continuum. Medical Care Research and Review. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/10775587231170066 

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Access to Medicaid and Timely Prenatal Care