Medicaid Is the Largest Source of Maternity Coverage in America
Medicaid pays for approximately 42 percent of all births in the United States, making it the single largest source of maternity coverage in the nation. For low-income women, women of color, and women in rural areas, Medicaid is often the only way to access prenatal care, delivery services, and postpartum support. Without this coverage, millions of women would be forced to navigate pregnancy and childbirth without any insurance at all.
The United States already faces a maternal health crisis, with maternal mortality rates that are significantly higher than those in other wealthy nations. Medicaid-funded prenatal care is one of the most effective tools for reducing complications during pregnancy and improving outcomes for both mothers and babies. Cutting Medicaid would worsen an already dire situation, particularly for Black women, who face maternal mortality rates nearly three times higher than white women.
In recent years, many states have extended Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to a full 12 months — a change that ensures new mothers can continue to access care during the critical first year after giving birth. Proposed federal cuts could force states to reverse these extensions, leaving new mothers without coverage at a vulnerable time.
Reproductive Health and Preventive Care
Beyond maternity care, Medicaid provides essential reproductive and preventive health services to millions of women. The program covers contraception, cancer screenings including mammograms and Pap tests, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and family planning services. For women who do not have access to employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid is the primary way they receive these critical preventive services.
Cervical and breast cancer survival rates are significantly higher when cancers are detected early through routine screening. Medicaid ensures that low-income women can access these screenings without the cost barriers that would otherwise prevent them from getting checked. Cutting funding for these services would not save money in the long run — it would simply shift costs to emergency rooms and hospital systems that treat cancers diagnosed at later, more expensive stages.
Women enrolled in Medicaid also access mental health services at high rates, reflecting the program's important role in addressing postpartum depression, anxiety, and other conditions that affect women's well-being. Proposed cuts would reduce access to these services precisely when demand for them is growing.
The Disproportionate Impact of Cuts on Women
Women make up a majority of adult Medicaid enrollees, and they would bear a disproportionate share of the harm from proposed cuts. Low-income women are more likely than men to work in part-time or low-wage jobs that do not offer health insurance, making them more reliant on Medicaid for coverage. Single mothers, who are already among the most economically vulnerable Americans, would be hit especially hard.
Imposing work requirements on Medicaid — a proposal that resurfaces in nearly every round of budget negotiations — would disproportionately affect women who serve as primary caregivers for children, aging parents, or family members with disabilities. Many of these women are working, but their caregiving responsibilities may prevent them from meeting rigid reporting requirements, leading to coverage losses even though they remain eligible.
Protecting Medicaid Means Protecting Women's Health
At a time when access to reproductive health care is increasingly restricted in many states, Medicaid remains one of the most important guarantees that low-income women can access the care they need. The program serves nearly 70 million Americans, and women and children make up the largest share of that population.
Proposals to cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid are not just budget decisions — they are decisions about whether millions of women will be able to see a doctor during pregnancy, receive a cancer screening, access contraception, or get treatment for postpartum depression. The stakes could not be higher.
Advocates, health care providers, and women across the country are calling on Congress to protect Medicaid and reject cuts that would undermine decades of progress in women's health. Every woman deserves access to quality, affordable health care — and Medicaid is the program that makes that possible for millions who would otherwise go without.