Insurance Guide for Maternal Health: Honoring Maternal Health Awareness Day

This Maternal Health Awareness Day, take a moment to learn more about the issues pregnant individuals may face, including limited access to care and limited resources. While most insurance plans cover care during and after pregnancy for related medical services, additional resources and financial assistance can help pregnant people and their families access the care and support they need to improve their physical and mental health.

Read on to learn more about this annual observance and its importance, how insurance can cover services across pregnancy stages and what resources may be available for those who struggle to afford or qualify for health insurance.

On This Page

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  What Is Maternal Health Awareness Day?

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  Maternal Health Awareness Day History

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  Health Insurance and Maternal Health Care

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  How To Advocate for Maternal Health

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  Financial Assistance and Resources for Maternal Health Awareness Day

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  FAQs

What Is Maternal Health Awareness Day?

Maternal Health Awareness Day is a national observance designed to spark conversations and raise awareness of maternal health and ways to reduce the maternal mortality rate. This includes people who are pregnant, giving birth or postpartum. Through these efforts, advocates aim to improve maternal health outcomes, as well as the physical, mental and emotional health of individuals at all stages of pregnancy.

When Is Maternal Health Awareness Day?

Maternal Health Awareness Day is observed every year on Jan. 23.^[1] While the observance lasts only one day, individuals are encouraged to learn more about maternal health and how society and health care services can better support pregnant and recently pregnant people throughout the year.

Why Is Maternal Health Awareness Day Important?

Despite spending more on health care than any other country, the U.S. has a high maternal mortality rate, with at least 80% of pregnancy-related deaths potentially preventable. There is a high rate of unexpected complications that occur shortly before or during childbirth, which can result in both short- and long-term health issues. The rate for these complications is increasing — for example, severe maternal morbidity doubled in Massachusetts over the last decade.^[2]

These outcomes are not driven by a single factor but by a combination of systemic challenges, including:^[3]

• Poor insurance coverage at all stages of pregnancy results in unaffordable care options.
• Fewer interprofessional teams are trained in best practices for maternal care.
• Limited early management of preexisting conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity can lead to complications later in pregnancy.
• Pregnant people from marginalized racial and ethnic groups may face barriers to receiving care due to higher rates of chronic conditions, medical bias and systemic racism.
• One-third of U.S. counties are considered maternal care deserts, meaning care is harder to access and often requires longer travel distances.^[4]

By acknowledging these challenges and supporting education and advocacy, Maternal Health Awareness Day promotes stronger systems of care for pregnant and postpartum individuals across their health care needs.

Maternal Health Awareness Day History

Maternal Health Awareness Day was developed by several New Jersey medical institutions in 2016 to expand statewide awareness of issues affecting maternal health. After legislation establishing the observance was passed, the day was officially recognized in the state in 2017. As of 2021, this day has been observed nationally on Jan. 23, with partners across the country participating.^[1]

Each year, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — one of the organizations that helped found Maternal Health Awareness Day — selects a theme for the observance.

In 2026, this theme is “Holding Ground on Maternal Health,” a call to remain steadfast in preventing maternal deaths and continuing to promote evidence-based care.^[1]

Health Insurance and Maternal Health Care

All health insurance plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace, as well as Medicaid plans, cover medical services related to pregnancy and childbirth. Because maternal health and newborn care are considered essential health benefits, all qualifying health plans — whether purchased inside or outside the Health Insurance Marketplace — must include this coverage. Covered services typically include prenatal care, such as checkups with doctors, nurses and midwives throughout pregnancy, as well as childbirth and newborn care, but may not include infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).^[5][6]

Individuals are eligible for this coverage regardless of when the plan was purchased. For example, if someone becomes pregnant and later enrolls in health coverage, maternal health services would still be covered.^[5]

Medicare also provides maternity-related coverage for up to 12 months, including pregnancy diagnosis, prenatal care and postpartum care. However, this coverage applies only to the birthing parent and does not extend to the newborn child.^[6]

What To Do if You Don’t Have Health Insurance

If an individual does not already have health insurance and plans to become pregnant or learns they are pregnant, enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace is still possible. Most people must enroll during the open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 in most parts of the country.^[8] However, some may qualify for a special enrollment period after experiencing a qualifying life event, such as moving to a new home, turning 26, getting married or leaving a job.^[5]

Keep in mind that while becoming pregnant does not qualify as a life event for a special enrollment period, giving birth does and provides a 60-day window to enroll in a Marketplace plan.^[5]

If Marketplace plans are unaffordable, individuals may qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provide free or low-cost coverage for people who meet income and other eligibility requirements. These requirements, including household income limits, vary by state law.^[5] If someone does not qualify for Medicaid or CHIP and cannot afford Marketplace coverage, local organizations or community resources may be available to help.

If an individual is approved for Medicaid while pregnant, coverage is guaranteed for 60 days to 12 months after childbirth, depending on the state. Coverage may end after this period if eligibility requirements are no longer met, such as when household income exceeds state limits. Unlike Marketplace plans, Medicaid and CHIP allow enrollment at any time during the year.^[5]

How To Advocate for Maternal Health

Whether you’re expecting or have been pregnant yourself or simply want to advocate on behalf of others, here are a few policy ideas you can help support in your community and nationwide:

• Improve mental health care for pregnant and postpartum individuals. Up to one in five expecting and postpartum parents in the U.S experience a maternal mental health disorder, making it the most common complication of pregnancy. People of color experience these mental health disorders at even higher rates.^[9]
• Work with organizations to reduce maternal health disparities across the country, such as a lack of care due to geographic, racial and ethnic issues.
• Encourage better maternal education from health care providers and other sources, such as books and scientific articles. This educational material should be provided throughout a person’s life, from adolescence through adulthood, to ensure prospective parents are informed about potential complications of pregnancy and the postpartum period.^[10]
• Support healthy behaviors during and after pregnancy, such as regular physical activity and smoking cessation.^[9] While it's often an individual decision, breastfeeding is another healthy behavior that has been shown to help protect against some breast cancers.^[11]
• Advocate for further research into improving maternal health care and the preservation of existing medical research and findings.

Financial Assistance and Resources for Maternal Health Awareness Day

Various programs provide financial assistance or other resources for pregnant individuals. Some of these programs include:^[12]

• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides food and educational resources focused on nutrition throughout pregnancy and for up to 6 months after childbirth or the end of the pregnancy. Individuals who engage in breastfeeding may extend this support for an additional six months beyond this period. Qualifying requires an income below 185% of the U.S. poverty level as well as meeting other requirements.
• The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program helps provide temporary financial aid for purchasing food, clothing, housing, medical supplies, and more. Additionally, this program can help individuals find employment and become self-sustaining. Each state has its own eligibility requirements for this program, but it's typically available to low-income families in the last three months of pregnancy.
• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, helps qualifying low-income and no-income families purchase food.
• The Maternity Group Homes for Pregnant and Parenting Youth (MGH) Program can provide housing assistance to pregnant and parenting youth experiencing homelessness during and after pregnancy.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration provides low-income families with no-cost health care in every state, though eligibility requirements vary by state.