House advances reconciliation bills aimed at expanding Medicaid reproductive care coverage

Photo: John Baggaley/Getty Images

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a budget resolution that allows for investments in healthcare that include sexual and reproductive care. 

The resolution unlocks the reconciliation process, by which Congress can expand Medicaid – providing health coverage to an estimated four million people who are currently uninsured, reduce costs, address the maternal health struggles and make more investments in health equity.

The budget resolution received support from Planned Parenthood this week, with president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson saying via statement that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

"At this time of great uncertainty, it's unconscionable that 12 states continue to deny health coverage to millions of people with low incomes, including 800,000 women of reproductive age, by refusing to expand Medicaid," she said. "It's past time for Congress to step in and take action."

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Indeed, research from the Kaiser Family Foundation confirms that 12 states are declining to expand Medicaid coverage. This, according to KFF data, effectively denies healthcare to 2.2 million people with incomes below the federal poverty line who are uninsured.

An additional 1.8 million people currently insured through the Affordable Care Act would benefit through Medicaid expansion, the research showed. Medicaid is the largest payer of reproductive healthcare in the nation, and Medicaid expansion has played a role in narrowing race and economic-based disparities in health care coverage and outcomes. 

Expanding Medicaid in the remaining states could bring coverage to more than 800,000 women of reproductive age, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Further research from KFF shows that Medicaid expansion can have an impact on health equity. Due in part to wealth inequality and structural racism, roughly 30% of Black and Latino people in the U.S. use Medicaid, compared to only around 15% of white people. 

Because of these barriers, Medicaid covers 65% of births to Black mothers. Black women are more than three times as likely to die of pregnancy-related causes.

THE LARGER TREND

Health affairs studies published in 2018 showed that Medicaid expansion has been linked to a number of health and economic benefits over the past few years, with positive effects on both volume and care quality, particularly in more rural areas.

Medicaid expansion was related to increased insurance coverage among all potentially eligible individuals, regardless of race, age, marital status or income.
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com