BALTIMORE—Sage Growth Partners, a healthcare growth strategy and marketing firm, released a new research report that reveals a looming crisis in maternal healthcare, as more than half of pregnant women on Medicaid anticipate losing coverage due to eligibility redeterminations.
Based on a first quarter 2026 survey of 50 health plan leaders and 300 pregnant or recently pregnant women and their caregivers, the Medicaid Maternity Cliff report underscores the growing risk of coverage disruption—and the downstream impact on care access, health equity and maternal and infant outcomes.
According to the report, 52% of Medicaid mothers believe they will lose coverage, while 84% of health plan leaders expect moderate to severe disruption to care continuity as redeterminations continue.
The report said these disruptions are not just administrative in nature, they carry real clinical consequences. Health plan leaders cite delayed or avoided prenatal and postpartum care (72%), care continuity breakdowns (66%) and increased financial barriers (64%) as the most significant risks to maternal and infant health.
"Our research data makes one thing very clear: this isn't just a coverage issue—it is a healthcare crisis in the making," said Dan D'Orazio, CEO of Sage Growth Partners. "When coverage disappears mid-journey, so does continuity. And in maternal health, that gap can have lasting consequences for both mothers and their babies."
The report also highlights that certain populations are likely to be disproportionately impacted, including women with intermittent income or coverage, postpartum mothers beyond 60 days, rural populations and families with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants.
In addition to policy-driven changes, many survey respondents cited fear and uncertainty as a key driver of concern, which underscores the emotional and behavioral impact of potential coverage loss.
The good news is that health plan leaders are already responding. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) indicated that they are increasing outreach and member education efforts, while others are strengthening partnerships with providers and community organizations and exploring new strategies to maintain continuity of care.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the challenge is significant. More than 80% of health plan leaders expect at least 10% of their members will lose coverage, with many anticipating delays or gaps in prenatal and postpartum care.
"Policy changes at the federal level are expected to continue to increase the frequency and impact of redeterminations, causing higher coverage churn and difficult care transitions," D'Orazio said. "Proactive outreach, smarter care management and stronger partnerships will be critical to keeping members connected to care."
This report is the first in Sage's State of Maternal & NICU Care 2026 series, with subsequent research findings being released in the upcoming months. A full copy of the new report is available here.