Immigration, Pregnancy, and Heath Insurance: New Evidence and Ongoing Debate
"Approximately 1 in 15 children born in the United States are born to undocumented immigrant parents. Despite consensus that prenatal care is critical to supporting maternal and infant health, undocumented women are significantly less likely to have adequate prenatal care compared with U.S. citizens. In part, this reflects high uninsured rates in this population (42% in 2015) due to economic barriers to employer-sponsored coverage and restrictions on federal Medicaid spending for undocumented immigrants. Although emergency Medicaid covers the costs of labor and delivery for low-income women regardless of immigration status, it does not cover prenatal or postpartum care..."
Authors: Jamie R. Daw, MSc, & Benjamin D. Sommers, MD, PhD
Outlet: Obstetrics & Gynecology.