Note: This blog is the first in a series we’re publishing on the importance of Medicaid to reproductive health.

For millions of people in the United States, Medicaid is more than just a health insurance program — it is the foundation of reproductive health care.  

As the nation’s largest insurer of people of reproductive age, Medicaid is a critically important way for people to access essential services at every stage of life. 

Nationally, Medicaid covers one in five women of reproductive age and nearly half of all children.

Source: KFF.org

What Medicaid Covers 

  • Maternity and postpartum care: Medicaid pays for 42% of all U.S. births and disproportionately about 64% of births to Black mothers due to a higher reliance on the program for health care because of systemic barriers to health and economic advancement. Federal flexibility has allowed some states to step up and extend postpartum coverage to 12 months, closing dangerous gaps in care. 
  • Family planning and preventive services: Medicaid covers birth control, counseling, STI testing, and cancer screenings without cost-sharing, helping people decide if, when, and how to grow their families. 
  • Children’s health: Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provide coverage for millions of children, laying the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. 
  • Economic protection: Medicaid eliminates out-of-pocket costs for most covered services, shielding families from medical debt at a time when health care costs are rising and disproportionately straining Black communities. 

When Jacalyn’s hospital cut maternity care, she was left driving 100 miles while pregnant to get the care she needed. With nearly $1T in Medicaid cuts, rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of shutting their doors — and families will pay the price. Read more for the @washingtonpost.com below!👇

— Community Catalyst (@communitycatalyst.org) 2025-09-08T20:22:47.842Z

Why This Matters for Reproductive Health 

Medicaid is a stabilizer. For people navigating pregnancy, raising children, accessing preventive services, or needing certain abortions required by federal law, Medicaid ensures that reproductive health care is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy — it’s a right that supports healthier families and stronger communities. 

At the same time, the program is constantly under threat — from bureaucratic barriers like work requirements to budget proposals that cut eligibility or restrict coverage. For Black families in particular, Medicaid is not just a health program but a pathway to narrow disparities in maternal health, infant survival, and access to reproductive care. 

Rising maternal and reproductive care costs, from prenatal visits to labor and delivery, have made essential care harder to access. Families are often pushed into financial distress just as they welcome a new child. 

This was the case for Bria in Wisconsin. When Bria became pregnant in 2011, she and her former partner were already struggling with paying their bills.  

Medicaid was a huge relief for me…it kept me and my daughter healthy and up-to-date on vaccines, helped us pay for an ICU stay.”
Bria, Wisconsin

Get Involved: Join the fight to protect Medicaid 

Can you share a time when affordable health coverage (like Medicaid or ACA tax credits) helped you access reproductive health care?

Share Your Story

Use our platform to easily record a short video using your phone or computer to share how changes to Medicaid could affect your life. Your story will show policymakers what’s really at stake and can help us demand better care for all. 

Coming next in this series: we’ll examine where Medicaid falls short, particularly on abortion coverage, and why that gap matters for reproductive justice.