Stratified Access and Experiences of Maternal Health Care in the United States‐Mexico Border Region
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6444903 |
|---|---|
| Authors | C Heckert (0000-0003-3344-6968, The University of Texas at El Paso, corresponding author), António Mata (0000-0003-1474-2681, Michigan State University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 211-218 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-17 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1538-6341 • E-ISSN: 1931-2393 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/psrh.70007 |
| PMID | 40091513 |
| OpenAlex | W4408535641 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 12 |
Introduction The United States (US) state of Texas uses two publicly funded programs to cover pregnant people—Medicaid for Pregnant Women and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Perinatal. While Medicaid offers more comprehensive coverage than CHIP Perinatal, it only includes US citizens and legally qualified residents. This tiered access to care, determined primarily by immigration status, generates stratified access. This paper explores how stratified access factors into reproductive experiences. Methodology Thirty‐two pregnant and postpartum women who identified as first‐ or second‐generation immigrants and had public insurance or no insurance coverage participated in a semi‐structured in‐depth interview. Interview questions explored topics related to immigration and border policies more broadly. This piece analyzes themes that emerged in relation to the type of healthcare coverage participants were able to access during pregnancy. Results Participants had a range of immigration statuses that factored into their eligibility for health programs. During pregnancy, 12 had CHIP Perinatal, 15 had Medicaid, and five had no coverage. Key themes shaping experiences of care included bureaucratic barriers in navigating health programs, inadequate coverage that reinforced health vulnerabilities, and feelings of limited autonomy. Discussion Women's narratives highlight the ways immigration status generates barriers to receiving health care coverage, including coverage for programs that individuals are entitled to regardless of immigration status. The type of coverage that a pregnant woman has dictates how comprehensive her care is and the degree to which she experiences coverage gaps outside of pregnancy
Autonomy · Family medicine · Health care · Immigration · Medicaid · Political science · Global Health Workforce Issues · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing
Recommendations for intrauterine contraception
Extending Postpartum Medicaid Beyond 60 Days Improves Care Access and Uncovers Unmet Needs in a Texas Medicaid Health Maintenance Organization
Participant Recruitment for Qualitative Research
Why Physicians Should Advocate for Undocumented Immigrants' Unimpeded Access to Prenatal Care
Structural Competency Meets Structural Racism
Insurance Churn and Postpartum Health among Texas Women with Births Covered by Medicaid/CHIP
Undocumented Motherhood
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |