Comment on How do poor people in the states give birth without money?
BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee 1 year ago
As a poor Florida resident who grew up and has known several people giving birth in poverty; if you’re lucky you qualify for WIC (women, infants, and children) which is essentially food stamps/ welfare for pregnant women and mothers. That covers food. If you qualify for WIC then you’re also eligible for Medicaid which is the US’ version of free* healthcare for people in poverty. That will cover pre and post natal care for the mother and baby. The baby is usually covered until they’re ~6. Unless you’re still poor by then, in which case it usually covers the child to adulthood or until their parents no longer qualify for Medicaid. Note that none of this covers diapers, clothes, or other necessities for the infant. Just food and drs visits. If you’re poor, but on the [benefits cliff](ncsl.org/…/introduction-to-benefits-cliffs-and-pu… you can get fucked lol. Murica
aidan@lemmy.world 1 year ago
To clarify, currently around ~40% of Americans have government funded insurance.
HerbalGamer@lemm.ee 1 year ago
5% increase since your other comment?
aidan@lemmy.world 1 year ago
My other comment was just Medicare/Medicaid. There’s also VA, and insurance for federal employees.
silicon_reverie@lemmy.world 1 year ago
… which is not to say that it’s free or even affordable (despite the name), or that residents in every state have equal access, or that the government is providing the plan. The ACA is a subsidy that slightly reduces the cost of private insurance, provided that you’re poor enough to qualify and that your state chooses to accept the federal government’s help beyond a certain threshold.