Preconception Medicaid and Maternal and Infant Health: Evidence from Linked Administrative Data

Genna Campain (), Sarah Miller (), Petra Persson (), Maya Rossin-Slater (), Laura Wherry () and Katlyn King ()
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Genna Campain: Stanford University
Sarah Miller: University of Michigan Ross School of Business and NBER
Petra Persson: Stanford University, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, and NBER
Maya Rossin-Slater: Stanford University, NBER, IZA-LISER
Laura Wherry: New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and NBER
Katlyn King: US Census Bureau

No 19087, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: Despite pregnancy-focused public insurance coverage in the U.S., low-income mothers and infants face persistent health disadvantages. Using linked birth, tax, and enrollment data, we examine the effects of preconception coverage from California's 2014 Medicaid expansion, comparing changes in outcomes for first-time mothers just below and above the income eligibility threshold. Expansion increased preconception Medicaid enrollment by 3.4 months (+23 percentage points in 12-month continuous coverage), first-month pregnancy enrollment by 24 percentage points, and adequate prenatal care and STI screening. Yet we find no improvements in maternal or infant health, suggesting preconception coverage alone cannot close health disparities.

Keywords: Medicaid; preconception; maternal and infant health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I13 I14 I18 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-11
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