Published in

Policy Brief

Authors

Espinosa O., Rodríguez-Lesmes P., Hone T., Millet C., Bejarano V., Eslava-Schmalbach J., Guarnizo-Herreño C., Buitrago G.

Abstract

This policy brief examines whether extending subsidized health insurance eligibility to vulnerable Venezuelan migrant women in Colombia improved prenatal care utilization and infant health outcomes. Utilizing a national retrospective cohort analysis of 326,968 live births between 2013 and 2020 via difference-in-differences and triple-differences methods, the study compared outcomes across insurance status and education levels. The analysis reveals that insurance coverage significantly increased prenatal care visits, particularly among women with secondary education or lower. However, no significant population-level reduction in infant mortality was observed, as emergency obstetric and delivery care were already universally guaranteed regardless of insurance status. The findings underscore that formal inclusion of migrants into national healthcare systems effectively closes equity gaps in preventive care utilization.