States that have not yet accepted Medicaid funding to offer coverage to more uninsured adults are doing a huge disservice to women, according to a new report by the National Women’s Law Center.  The report found troubling disparities between low-income women with and without health insurance and identified an urgent need to expand coverage in the 25 states that have yet to accept increased federal Medicaid funding offered by the Affordable Care Act.

Among the report findings:

•  Low-income women without health insurance report going without needed care because of cost 2.5 times as often as low-income women with insurance.
• About 62 percent of low-income uninsured women report having had a regular checkup in the last two years, which is 41 percent less than the 88 percent of low-income, insured women who had a regular visit during this time frame. 
•  The rate of cervical cancer screenings, which have been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and mortality over time, was nearly 25 percent lower for uninsured low-income women than for insured low-income women, and the rate of mammograms was nearly 60 percent lower.

In the 25 states and the District of Columbia that have accepted the Medicaid funding to offer coverage to more uninsured residents, health coverage will improve but about 3 million women will likely fall into the coverage gap in the other 25 states. NWLC’s state-by-state analysis provides some heart-breaking insights into how being uninsured impacts women in the 25 recalcitrant states.  Low-income women without health insurance in the non-expansion states are significantly less likely to get basic health care and preventive services on a regular basis than women who have similarly low incomes but who are covered by public or private health insurance.

For example, in Mississippi, about 68% of low-income uninsured women who needed to see a doctor in the past 12 months were unable to do so due to cost.  That compares to about 28% of low-income insured women in the state.  In Idaho, only about 41% of low-income uninsured women had a regular check-up in the last two years compared to about 81% of insured low-income women.

To see how low-income uninsured women are faring in your state, read NWLC’s “Mind the Gap” report.