Late Medicaid Enrollment During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Mortality

Early enrollment into Medicaid during pregnancy is crucial for timely prenatal care and diagnosis of conditions to promote healthy delivery, birth, and postpartum outcomes. Late enrollment may delay prenatal care, therefore missing opportunities to identify and manage complications. To achieve timely Medicaid enrollment, states can leverage presumptive eligibility, enhance public awareness of Medicaid enrollment policies, and expedite Medicaid managed care enrollment.

This evaluation compares common health conditions identified during pregnancy among women enrolling into a managed care plan during their first, second, or third trimester. This paper also examines the risk of all-cause maternal mortality and infant mortality, based on trimester of enrollment.