Washington, DC (670 KBOI News) – Georgetown University says Idaho’s women of childbearing age are some of the most uninsured in the country.

Joan Alker with the Georgetown Center for Children and Families says 16% of Idaho’s women between 18 and 44 fall into the so-called Medicaid Gap, and won’t really be helped when expansion kicks in next January.

“The legislature did a number of ‘barriers’ to coverage,” said Alker.  “It’s going to be problematic if those new red tape rules are put into effect.  That’s going to cause gaps in coverage for women, and that’s exactly the problem medical professionals think we need to avoid.”

She said before getting pregnant, women should take steps to get high blood pressure, diabetes and another conditions under control, but medications are expensive unless they’re covered by Medicaid.

As far as the responsibility women have for maintaining their own health, she says things like diet and exercise are overrated, and don’t help as much as people think.

— Jay Howell, 670 KBOI