Millions of Americans rely on Medicaid for their contraceptive care. Given the scale of care coverage, KFF reviewed Medicaid claims data from across the country — excluding Georgia and Illinois, due to data issues — to evaluate how Medicaid enrollees access contraceptives.
Here are five things to know:
1. Over 4 in 10 female Medicaid enrollees relied on safety-net providers for contraceptive care.
2. Community health center use saw wide variability among states and the District of Columbia. In 2023, 46% of female patients in the district had their last contraceptive visit at a community health center, while in Wisconsin, only 4% did.
3. The same goes for Planned Parenthood. That same year, 47% of Californians had their last visit at a Planned Parenthood location, whereas none did in Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Wyoming, West Virginia and Texas.
4. While state and local health departments and HHS’ Indian Health Service played a smaller role in providing contraceptive care overall, Medicaid enrollees in Alabama relied more heavily on their health departments. In Alaska, 37% had their last visit of 2023 through the Indian Health Service.
5. The majority of Medicaid enrollees receive contraceptive care through an office-based provider or an outpatient clinic. Given California’s large network of relevant safety-net providers, the state had a lower use percentage.
