Uninsured Native Americans Often Lack Needed Prenatal Care [ocregister.com]

By Yesenia Amaro and Deepa Bharath, Center for Health Journalism News Collaborative, October 4, 2019

For almost two years, Sylvia Valenzuela relied on the federal Indian Health Service system to get the primary care she needed.

But when she had to see an OB-GYN for her prenatal care, she was on her own. What followed, she said, was a nightmare in which she struggled to obtain and keep Medi-Cal coverage, leaving her uninsured for a critical stretch of her pregnancy.

Valenzuela says she would like to see better health care coverage, not only for Native American pregnant women but for all Native Americans.

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