September 2021
A continuation of our series highlighting the issues affecting the low-income moms gaining access to quality health care.
By Lindsey Hill, Intern
Access to affordable health care is a basic human need yet in the United States, the future of a vital safety net remains uncertain. A report from 2018 revealed that 1 in 10 Arlington adults are living without health insurance. Given how affluent the Arlington community is, it’s a concerning statistic that 11% of Arlington residents do not have insurance. Thankfully there is a safety net for the uninsured – Medicaid. Medicaid covers essential health benefits, including pregnancy, maternity, pediatric care, chronic disease management, breastfeeding support, contraception, mental health and other behavioral health services.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that currently provides health coverage to 1 in 5 Americans, including children, pregnant women, parents, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. Medicaid is the single largest source of health coverage in the United States, with Virginia Medicaid offering low-cost and no-cost health coverage programs for citizens and legal immigrants based on financial status.
Close to 50% of all U.S. births are covered by Medicaid, along with a large number of maternal, infant, and child health visits. Serving millions of U.S. pregnant women living in poverty, Medicaid expansion has increased access to coverage and services associated with improving the lives of mothers and infants.
While there are multiple coverage options in the state of Virginia for children and pregnant women, more can be done for these frequent users of needed medical services. Medicaid expansion can and will continue to help low-income populations, specifically helping mothers in need to ensure healthy pregnancies and births. The Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, has prioritized Medicaid expansion and in our next Medicaid blog, we will detail how this expansion can have a positive impact for the moms and babies we serve.