Medicaid Expansion Improves Health of Mothers and Babies
States that expanded Medicaid helped fill gaps in maternal health coverage, leading to lower rates of maternal and infant mortality, according to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. The uninsured rate for women of childbearing age is nearly twice as high in states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. States that expanded Medicaid saw a 50 percent greater reduction in infant mortality compared to states that didn’t. Medicaid expansion was especially important for women of color and their babies, helping to reduce the significant racial disparities in maternal and infant health.