Story thread · 19 reports / 18 sources

Red state reeling as Trump's marquee law boots sick kids and pregnant moms off coverage

rawstory.com · 4dShare

Vanessa Melendez had been going back and forth with the state over her family’s Medicaid and food assistance applications for months when the Houston mom learned she was pregnant with her third child. She submitted a new application for Medicaid for Pregnant Women, which covers care during pregnancy and for 12 months after giving birth, last December. And then she waited. She didn’t receive any update until she was more than four months pregnant — well into her second trimester — as anxiety over how her baby was doing became overwhelming. It’s crucial for pregnant women to be seen in the first trimester, which is the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. It allows the doctor to confirm the pregnancy, detect a fetal heartbeat and do some early testing. It’s also when a majority of miscarriages occur. “It was a lot and I felt like everything was going wrong and I wasn't going to get the help that I needed,” said Melendez, who delivered her son in July. “I'm going to have this baby, and I have no

First report: Hospitals pursue deals to ensure survival as Trump’s Medicaid cuts loom — statnews.com, 7d