Welfare Reform and the Obstetrical Care of Immigrants and Their Newborns

On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Although it does not affect the ability of low-income citizens to obtain Medicaid health coverage, the act does prohibit such coverage for some immigrants. Because illnesses in the perinatal period can affect two generations, the prohibitions may have unique consequences for pregnant women and their newborns, such as the denial of zidovudine treatment during pregnancy 1 and of immunization during infancy. Before welfare reform, people who had immigrated into this country legally were generally eligible for Medicaid and other federal benefits. Undocumented immigrants were eligible . . .