In light of Medicaid cuts in the now-signed OBBB becoming law, this week’s graphic highlights a prominent use of Medicaid. Even though only about 1 in 5 people are covered by Medicaid, in 2023, more than 4 in 10 births in the United States were covered by Medicaid. There is significant variation among states; nearly two-thirds of births in Louisiana were covered by Medicaid while only 21% of births in New Hampshire were. Notably, only Utah was below the national Medicaid coverage rate at 18% of births. While the national Medicaid birthrate has been steady since 2019, there has been measurable change on a state-by-state basis. Eighteen states saw a 3-percentage point decrease in the Medicaid birth rate over this time while 4 saw the opposite. Only 5 saw no change between 2019 and 2023. While increasing the birth rate remains a priority for President Trump, a changing coverage environment could become a new factor for some couples to weigh.
