When women have access to quality, affordable health care before, during, and after pregnancy, both mothers and babies are able to thrive. Yet nearly 1 in 7 Missouri women of childbearing age are uninsured, leaving women vulnerable to lapses in care – particularly in the periods immediately before and after pregnancy when eligibility for Medicaid is most restrictive.
Women who are insured before pregnancy are better able to address health conditions or health behaviors, such as heart disease or smoking, that are associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy and birth. Similarly, women who are insured after birth are better able to address physical and emotional complications which can often persist for up to a year postpartum.
