Rx Kids program fights poverty to improve health in Michigan and beyond
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In Flint, Michigan, pediatrician at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine created Rx Kids, a program providing direct cash payments to families during pregnancy and their baby’s first year.
Seeing how financial hardship harmed patient health, the pediatrician sought a way to address poverty directly. Traditional medical practice often identifies poverty as a social issue separate from medical care, but Rx Kids treats it as a health determinant.
Launched in 2024, Rx Kids delivers $1,500 to pregnant mothers and $500 monthly to families with infants in participating communities, without income requirements or restrictions on spending. The program aims to treat entire communities rather than individual patients, reducing stigma and administrative work. So far, over 15,000 Michigan families have received more than $55 million through the program. Early results show that Rx Kids improves health outcomes.
Flint, Michigan, the first community to participate, saw an 18% decrease in preterm births and a 27% decrease in low birth weight babies. Researchers also observed a 50% drop in neonatal mortality, less postpartum depression, and a 32% reduction in infant maltreatment reports. The program has since expanded to over 60 Michigan communities and recently launched in Ohio, with plans to reach almost 25,000 babies annually.
