Perinatal outcomes among Medicaid recipients in California.

It is important to document the current status of health outcomes among the medically needy so as to establish baselines to gauge the impact of future program changes. We studied the birth characteristics and perinatal outcomes of women covered by Medicaid in California versus those who were not covered in 1968 and in 1978. Our findings show a high degree of equity and a trend of improvement in perinatal mortality among Medicaid beneficiaries. The results suggest that needy women who are not yet covered by public financing may have a greater risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. It would thus seem prudent to carefully monitor the impact of any future reductions in public health care expenditures.