Minnesota is in the top half of states when linking Medicaid coverage with needs for maternal care in rural areas.
That's according to a new report from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University.
In rural Minnesota, more than 23% of women of childbearing age are covered by Medicaid. That's in line with the national average and 4% higher than the state's metro counties.
University of Minnesota Professor in the School of Public Health, Dr. Katy Kozhimannil, is part of the broader research community looking at this issue.
She said these numbers come amid a continued decline of obstetric care in these communities.
"More than a decade into a maternal health crisis in this country," Kozhimannil said. "Fewer and fewer U.S. hospitals provide obstetrics every year with rural hospitals experiencing the greatest losses."
Researchers say this care is expensive, and big Medicaid adjustments create more harm for rural providers, putting the health of mothers and babies at risk.
House Republicans are considering program reforms, including work requirements, to help pay for tax cuts.
The GOP says streamlining services keeps the program strong for vulnerable people, but the Congressional Budget Office estimates nearly 8 million people would lose coverage.
With that CBO forecast, Democrats and health advocates contend the proposed changes amount to massive cuts.
The Georgetown Center's Executive Director and Co-founder Joan Alker said the current debate over Medicaid is one of the more consequential ones she has seen in her time tracking federal policy.
"And the reality is that these cuts," said Alker, "could be extremely pernicious and dangerous for rural communities."
The report says in 2023, Medicaid covered 41% of births nationwide, but nearly half of all births in rural areas.
As for the chance of increased health risks, these researchers note that rates of infants with low birth weight in rural counties tend to be higher than those in urban settings.
-
When the garden or farmers market gives you everything at once, the best way to handle it is to return to the fundamentals: roast, grill, bake, pickle, can, dry, freeze and sauté. These aren’t just methods, they’re survival tools during harvest season. Especially grilling. Because it’s summer. And everything tastes better with a little char and a lot of butter.This week, Amy and Heidi talked to Erin Haefele of Green Scene in Walker, Minnesota, "a charming food haven nestled in the heart of rural northern Minnesota where small-town warmth meets big-city sophistication." Erin inspires us with simple preparations to deliciously fresh garden ingredients. And we hear from Amy's friend Beth Friedrichson from Wisconsin, who gushes about dilly beans and life on the farm with chickens and alpacas.Lots of folks phoned in to talk about their harvests, whether it was peonies in Stillwater, garlic near Detroit Lakes, urban front yard CSAs in Minneapolis, potato varieties in Deer River or stuffed grape leaves in Chicago, you had a story to tell. Share yours! This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Onion Pie: kaxe.org/community-recipe-onion-pie-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!Ham Radio Features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate -
KAXE responds to the House vote to rescind public media funding and urges the Senate to protect trusted local news, emergency alerts and community programming in Northern Minnesota. -
Although education spending will increase, school districts will notice cuts to state aid for special education, school libraries and student supports like counselors and nurses.
