Projects Research & Reports Medicaid Medicaid 2025 Maternal & Early Childhood Health

How Medicaid Supports Maternal and Infant Health

In This Report:

Medicaid helps mothers and babies get the care they need.

Medicaid coverage plays a vital role in ensuring that no mother or infant falls through the cracks during the first year postpartum. Medicaid finances more than 40% 1of births across the nation. Eligibility levels vary by state2 but coverage for maternity care, including prenatal and birth services, are core benefits3.

Medicaid also has a vital role to play in ensuring that parents and infants get the right care at the right time in the year following a birth to promote and protect maternal health, infant health, and early childhood development.

Mothers and babies need access to care for well-visits including screening and treatment of physical and mental health needs. During pregnancy and following the birth of a new baby, Medicaid coverage4 includes services such as effective interventions for smoking, alcohol, and substance use, as well as treatment for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression. 

Medicaid is a key player in combating the maternal health crisis.

The 2023 maternal mortality rate was 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births. A larger category of pregnancy-related mortality includes deaths during pregnancy and up to a year after pregnancy from associated causes.

The most common medical causes of pregnancy-related death are cardiovascular, infection, hemorrhage, embolism (clots), and hypertension. Mental health conditions, such as depression, are a contributing cause of pregnancy-related mortality, including suicide and homicide—highly preventable causes of death. Studies show that more than 80%5 of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

Thousands more mothers experience severe maternal morbidity6, or unexpected labor and delivery outcomes that create negative and often life-threatening health effects. These include the need for a blood transfusion, stroke or heart attack, sepsis (infections), or eclampsia causing seizures from elevated blood pressure. Severe maternal morbidity can lead to increased medical costs7 and longer hospital stays.

Medicaid supports healthy births by covering millions of women before, during and after pregnancy.

For decades, Medicaid has ensured coverage for many low-income pregnant women to promote healthy pregnancies and births. But until 2014, many of these women had no access to health care before they became pregnant, meaning they brought untreated chronic or other conditions to prenatal care. The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion allowed more women to access coverage and improve their health before they became pregnant. State Medicaid expansion to low-income adults in 40 states8 and the District of Columbia helped ensure more women had health coverage before, during, and following a pregnancy. Medicaid expansion has been linked to larger decreases in maternal9 and infant mortality10, with the greatest benefits for those at highest risk. Some studies have linked expansion to improved birth outcomes11, such as decreases in preterm or low-birthweight births and decreased postpartum hospitalizations12. Other studies have linked expansion with improvements in preconception health13 and use of preventive care during pregnancy and postpartum, including mental health14 services.

States are using Medicaid to improve maternal and infant health.

In the face of the maternal mortality crisis, many state Medicaid programs have intensified their focus on improving maternal health. Medicaid coverage is more widely available to women at once they become pregnant. In 2022, Congress gave states the option to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months, drawing on state data showing that nearly half15 of maternal deaths occur in the year following birth. As of January 2025, 48 states and Washington D.C.16 have adopted the postpartum extension from 60 days to 12 months to keep coverage stable during a time of family change and critical period of early childhood development when every mother and infant need health care.

Beyond ensuring stable health coverage, states have led efforts to enhance17 maternal health services, including adoption of recommended practices18 surrounding and following birth, and newly Medicaid-funded services, such as community-based19 doulas20, community health workers21, and home visiting22.

Medicaid supports infants born too soon or too small.

For babies born preterm or at low birthweight, Medicaid is a key source of funding for additional services they may need in23 a neonatal intensive care24 unit (NICU) or from their pediatric provider in the community. Approximately 12% of  births financed by Medicaid are early, or preterm25. Some state Medicaid initiatives have demonstrated ways to reduce preterm births 26 and need for NICU27 care.  Newborn treatments can save lives and reduce long-term disabilities that can result from preterm birth28. In addition, under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), Part C programs, Medicaid provides funding for some medical and related services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities, improving access to care needed to reduce adverse long-term impacts.

Medicaid coverage of pregnant women and children coverage is linked to long-term health, educational and economic outcomes.

Longitudinal studies have increasingly linked29 Medicaid coverage for mothers and young children with improved health and lower rates of disability in adulthood. Medicaid coverage is also associated with higher educational attainment and greater financial security, and even improved birth outcomes30 across two generations. Some studies have also documented financial benefits31 for society and a strong return on government investment.32

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Endnotes

  1. “Births Financed by Medicaid | KFF.” 2025. KFF. January 15, 2025. Available Here. ↩︎
  2. “Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Limits for Pregnant Women as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level.” n.d. KFF. Available Here. ↩︎
  3. Ranji, Usha, Ivette Gomez, Carrie Rosenzweig, Rebecca Kellenberg, Kathy Gifford Published: May 19, and 2022. 2022. “Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey – Report.” KFF. May 19, 2022. Available Here. ↩︎
  4. Ranji, Usha, Ivette Gomez, Carrie Rosenzweig, Rebecca Kellenberg, Kathy Gifford Published: May 19, and 2022. 2022. “Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey – Report.” KFF.May 19, 2022. Available Here. ↩︎
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2024. “Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 38 U.S. States, 2020.” Maternal Mortality Prevention. May 28, 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2024. “Severe Maternal Morbidity.” Maternal Infant Health. May 20, 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  7. Declercq, Eugene, and Laurie Zephyrin. 2021. “Severe Maternal Morbidity in the United States: A Primer.” Www.commonwealthfund.org. October 28, 2021. Available Here. ↩︎
  8. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2024. “Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions | KFF.” KFF. November 12, 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  9. Eliason, Erica L. 2020. “Adoption of Medicaid Expansion Is Associated with Lower Maternal Mortality.” Women’s Health Issues 30 (3). Available Here. ↩︎
  10. Bhatt, Chintan B., and Consuelo M. Beck-Sagué. 2018. “Medicaid Expansion and Infant Mortality in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 108 (4): 565–67. Available Here. ↩︎
  11. Meryem Saygili, and Esra Eren Bayindir. 2024. “Association of Medicaid Expansion with Birth Outcomes: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Texas.” BMC Public Health 24 (1). Available Here. ↩︎
  12. Steenland, Maria W., and Laura R. Wherry. 2023. “Medicaid Expansion Led to Reductions in Postpartum Hospitalizations.” Health Affairs 42 (1): 18–25. Available Here. ↩︎
  13. Myerson, Rebecca, Samuel Crawford, and Laura R. Wherry. 2020. “Medicaid Expansion Increased Preconception Health Counseling, Folic Acid Intake, and Postpartum Contraception.” Health Affairs 39 (11): 1883–90. Available Here. ↩︎
  14. Steenland, Maria W., and Amal N. Trivedi. 2023. “Association of Medicaid Expansion with Postpartum Depression Treatment in Arkansas.” JAMA Health Forum 4 (2): e225603. Available Here. ↩︎
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2024. “Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 38 U.S. States, 2020.” Maternal Mortality Prevention. May 28, 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  16. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2021. “Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker.” KFF. 2021. Available Here. ↩︎
  17. Hasan, Anoosha. 2023. “States Build Capacity to Address Maternal Mortality through Policy Innovations.” NASHP. September 8, 2023. Available Here. ↩︎
  18. “Participating States and Jurisdictions.” 2024. Safer Births. June 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  19. “Community-Based Doulas and Early Relational Health: The Role of Public Policy and Financing.” 2024. Nurture Connection. October 16, 2024. Available Here. ↩︎
  20. Hasan, Anoosha. 2023. “States Build Capacity to Address Maternal Mortality through Policy Innovations.” NASHP. September 8, 2023. Available Here. ↩︎
  21. Cristian Meghea, Jennifer E Raffo, Yu X, Mengqi Wang, Zhehui Luo, Peggy Vander Meulen, Celeste Lloyd, and Lee Anne Roman. 2023. “Community Health Worker Home Visiting, Birth Outcomes, Maternal Care, and Disparities among Birthing Individuals with Medicaid Insurance.” JAMA Pediatrics 177 (9): 939–39. Available Here. ↩︎
  22. Wachino, Elisabeth Burak, Vikki. 2023. “Promoting the Mental Health of Parents and Children by Strengthening Medicaid Support for Home Visiting.” Think Bigger Do Good. May 9, 2023. Available Here. ↩︎
  23. Lakshminrusimha, Satyan, David A. Lubarsky, Rhae Ana Gamber, and Sherin U. Devaskar. 2024. “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Recommendations on Medicaid Parity and Future of Pediatric Subspecialty Workforce.” Journal of Perinatology 44 (8): 1098–1103. Available Here. ↩︎
  24. Masten, Yondell, Huaxin Song, Christina R. Esperat, and Linda J. McMurry. 2021. “A Maternity Care Home Model of Enhanced Prenatal Care to Reduce Preterm Birth Rate and NICU Use.” Birth, August. Available Here. ↩︎
  25. “2024 Medicaid & CHIP Beneficiaries at a Glance: Maternal Health.” 2024. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Available Here. ↩︎
  26. Newman, Roger B, Scott A Sullivan, M Kathryn Menard, Charles S Rittenberg, Amelia K Rowland, Jeffrey E Korte, and Heather Kirby. 2008. “South Carolina Partners for Preterm Birth Prevention: A Regional Perinatal Initiative for the Reduction of Premature Birth in a Medicaid Population.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 199 (4): 393.e1-8. Available Here. ↩︎
  27. Lakshminrusimha, Satyan, David A. Lubarsky, Rhae Ana Gamber, and Sherin U. Devaskar. 2024. “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Recommendations on Medicaid Parity and Future of Pediatric Subspecialty Workforce.” Journal of Perinatology 44 (8): 1098–1103. Available Here. ↩︎
  28. DeSisto, Carla L, Charlan D Kroelinger, Madison Levecke, Sanaa Akbarali, Ellen Pliska, and Wanda D Barfield. 2023. “Maternal and Neonatal Risk-Appropriate Care: Gaps, Strategies, and Areas for Further Research.” Journal of Perinatology 43 (6): 817–22. Available Here. ↩︎
  29. Park, Edwin, Joan Alker, and Alexandra Corcoran. 2020. “Jeopardizing a Sound Investment: Why Short-Term Cuts to Medicaid Coverage during Pregnancy and Childhood Could Result in Long-Term Harm.” Www.commonwealthfund.org. December 8, 2020. Available Here. ↩︎
  30. East, Chloe, Sarah Miller, Marianne Page, and Laura Wherry. 2017. “Multi-Generational Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net: Early Life Exposure to Medicaid and the next Generation’s Health.” RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, September. Available Here. ↩︎
  31. Park, Edwin, Joan Alker, and Alexandra Corcoran. 2020. “Jeopardizing a Sound Investment: Why Short-Term Cuts to Medicaid Coverage during Pregnancy and Childhood Could Result in Long-Term Harm.” Www.commonwealthfund.org. December 8, 2020. Available Here. ↩︎
  32. Park, Edwin. 2023. “New CBO Study Explores the Long-Term Fiscal Benefits of Medicaid Coverage in Childhood.” Center for Children and Families. November 16, 2023. Available Here. ↩︎

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