Increasing access to prenatal care: disease prevention and sound business practice.

Following our study of birth outcomes for uninsured new immigrant and refugee women in Toronto, we discovered clinically significant numbers of women with hypertension and diabetes. As this population ages and prevalence increases, the expense of treating uncontrolled chronic illness increases. Prudent health policy change, a reduction in treatment delays, and equitable access to care will decrease clinical risk and limit the financial burden on the health care system. This unanticipated finding supports the argument for establishing government-funded maternity care insurance for all women. Such policies could prevent perinatal complications and decrease the rate of uncontrolled chronic illness later in life.