The Data:
• The Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) was formed by the Idaho legislature in 2019. In its
 most recent report they found:
  o Every single documented maternal death was found preventable
  o Idaho’s maternal mortality rate doubled each year from 2019 – 2021.
  o The leading causes of maternal death were non-cardiovascular medical conditions, followed by
     mental health conditions, sepsis, and traumatic injuries.
  o Nearly 1 in 4 pregnancy-related deaths occurs between 43 and 365 days after birth.
• Unfortunately, Idaho’s babies aren’t faring much better than their mothers. In 2020:
  o Infant mortality went up 16 percent.
  o 10 percent of infants didn’t receive a single well child checkup.
• Preventative care and routine health services saves money by avoiding the higher costs of treating
 medical problems that go undetected and escalate to crisis levels
 Raising income eligibility levels for low-income children and pregnant women will allow more moms and kids        access to the care they need to get healthy and stay healthy.
• Idaho is ranked last in the nation in providing affordable health insurance for pregnant and postpartum
 women.
• The first step in accessing health care services is access to health coverage. To bring Idaho’s coverage
 eligibility in line with the average of the rest of the nation, the state must increase its Medicaid income
 eligibility limits for children to over 255% over federal poverty level (for a family of 3) and to over 205%
 above poverty level for pregnant women.
 Investing in the health of Idaho children is an investment in our future. When children have quality,
 affordable health insurance, they have access to the care they need to stay healthy, perform better in
 school, and become more productive adults.
• Idaho is ranked second to last in the nation in providing affordable health insurance for kids. With 35,000
 uninsured kids in Idaho, most of whom are just outside of the income limits
• Children’s good health is fundamental to their overall development. Kids enrolled in Medicaid:
• Have lower rates of eating disorders, drinking, and mortality.
• Are 10 percent less likely to drop out of school.
• Are 6 percent more likely to go to college.
• Have higher incomes later in life, greater economic mobility and are less reliant on safety net
 programs.
• Have fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits as adults.