mothers. Prototype at-risk mothers are undereducated, poor and often young. They generally have had late or no prenatal care, and they are victims of a lack of affordable health care or insurance. In short, these women have fallen between the cracks and below the poverty line.
Focusing specifically on high-risk women indicates that about 4 in 10 are unemployed or work only part-time. One quarter of the women are poor ($8,300 for a family of three in 1987). Of these women, almost none have health insurance through private industry. Insurance is a complex and key piece in the prenatal puzzle:
About nine percent of women of reproductive age - some 5 million women - have private insurance policies that don't cover maternity care. About 330,000 have private insurance policies that pay nothing for their maternity care, forcing them to rely on their own funds or, if they qualify, to apply for Medicaid.
The process of applying for Medicaid is complicated and may greatly affect the moment when a women can begin prenatal care. With prenatal care, time is of the essence, and "under Medicaid 8% of the pregnant women don't start prenatal care until their third trimester: 3% get no care at all." Once a woman finds out she's pregnant and decides to apply for a Medicaid card, she must fill out an application form. In most states, the form is long and complex and requires extensive documentation. Several visits to the welfare office are needed. The forms average 14 pages and can run as long as 40
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