Advocates warn that proposed Medicaid cuts will deepen provider shortages, widen rural healthcare deserts, and leave even more families without lifesaving care.

Idaho’s healthcare system for pregnant women, new moms, babies and kids is increasingly strained, and proposed Medicaid cuts threaten to make the crisis far worse. A new fact sheet from Idaho Kids Covered shows about 30% of Idaho counties now lack any obstetric provider or hospital offering labor and delivery care, forcing families to travel long distances for basic services. Meanwhile, Idaho also ranks last in the nation for access to pediatricians, with only 50 doctors per 100,000 children, less than half the national average. 

Access to prenatal support is also slipping: nearly 1 in 5 pregnant women did not receive “adequate” prenatal care in 2024, increasing preventable risks like preterm birth and infant mortality. The uninsured rate for mothers and children is climbing. The number of uninsured children in Idaho climbed by 43% from 2022 to 2024. Meanwhile, 1 in 8 women of childbearing age in Idaho lacks health insurance, making it harder for them to get care before, during, or after pregnancy. 

“These numbers tell a clear story,” said Ivy Walker, Policy Associate at Idaho Voices for Children. “Idaho’s families are losing local obstetrics services and struggling to find doctors for their kids. Cutting Medicaid now would push the system past its breaking point.” 

More budget cuts would hit rural healthcare systems the hardest, where Medicaid is a lifeline for pregnant women and children. In 2024, Medicaid covered nearly half of all births in Lewis (46.2%), Lincoln (44.8%), and Butte (42.9%) counties and helps rural hospitals keep essential providers on staff.  

“When Medicaid is weakened, rural hospitals are often the first to lose labor and delivery services,” said Walker. “Once those units close, it rarely reopens, and families are suddenly driving hours for care that used to be minutes away.” 

Idaho Kids Covered calls on policymakers this legislative session to keep Idaho mothers and children in mind when making decisions.  

Our recommendations include:

• Rejecting Medicaid cuts and restoring funding to keep families insured and rural hospitals open. 

• Raising Medicaid’s income eligibility for pregnant women and children to keep more moms and babies insured and healthy. 

“Idaho’s healthcare crisis for pregnant women, new moms, and children is not inevitable — it’s the product of policy decisions,” Walker said. “With the right investments, we can reverse these trends. But if Medicaid is cut, the consequences will fall squarely on families who cannot afford another barrier to care.” 

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