Medicaid, a jointly financed state-federal health coverage program for the poor and low-income, provides more than 21 million low-income women with basic health and long-term care coverage. Because women are more likely than men to fall into one of the eligibility categories for Medicaid and are more likely than men to be poor, women comprise over two-thirds of beneficiaries.

This issue brief discusses the role of Medicaid for women and examines how changes under the health reform law will affect the program and women covered by Medicaid.   The brief explores Medicaid’s role for women across their lifespans including reproductive health services, care for chronic conditions and disabilities, and long-term care services.  And it provides new state-level data on enrollment and coverage policies on services of importance to women.

 Issue Brief (.pdf)