Protect New Families with a Full Year of Care after Birth

A third of pregnancy-related deaths in America occur in the weeks following birth, instead of during pregnancy or delivery. However, for many new mothers, health coverage ends just 60 days after delivery, even though post-birth complications can continue well after. Ensuring that new mothers and their babies have a year of postpartum health insurance coverage can save states money on overall healthcare costs, while combating maternal mortality, and helping families during the critical first year of life.

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Passed In

Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Kentucky Maryland Maryland (2) Maine Mississippi North Carolina Ohio South Carolina Tennessee Utah Washington West Virginia Wyoming

Introduced In

Alaska Alabama Delaware Hawaii Iowa Indiana Kentucky Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri North Carolina New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Texas Virginia Vermont

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does this help?

This policy helps new mothers and their families, who are often faced with undiagnosed postpartum depression, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and other health risks and complications, including pregnancy-related death, without the care they need after giving birth.

Is this high cost for the state?

No. The federal government pays 90% or more of the costs of Medicaid expansion for postpartum coverage. Also, ensuring that more new mothers have health insurance and during the year after delivery can reduce healthcare costs overall by helping more women get the care they need.

Partners

Pregnant women and their families
Doctors and healthcare professionals
Maternal health advocates
Public health experts
Mental health advocates

Opposition

None noted

In The News

Texas Tribune

Republican state House speaker backs expanding Medicaid to cover mothers for a year after they give birth

The number of reported maternal deaths has increased nationwide in recent decades, and Texas data sh...

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KHQA

Illinois expands Medicaid benefits for new mothers

Lisa Agney knows the ups and downs of motherhood with her 16-month-old daughter, Anna. ‘That first...

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USA Today

Admon has seen the impact firsthand. . . . Before the expansion took effect, she said, ‘after the ...

Read The Article

NPR

Nearly Dying In Childbirth: Why Preventable Complications Are Growing In U.S.

Childbirth is the leading reason that people go to hospitals, accounting for nearly 12 percent of al...

Read The Article

The Washington Post

Hundreds of women die each year from pregnancy issues. Most of the deaths could be prevented

Hundreds of women die preventable deaths of complications from pregnancy each year in the United Sta...

Read The Article

Model Policy

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SECTION 1 (TITLE):
This act shall be known as the STATE Postpartum Health Coverage Act

SECTION 2 (PURPOSE):
Whereas new mothers and their families are at increased risks of postpartum health risks and complications after giving birth, this act expands Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum mothers up to 12 months after giving birth.

SECTION 3 (PROVISIONS):

(A) Pregnancy related Medicaid eligibility in STATE shall extend 365 days postpartum.

(B) Within existing appropriations, DEPARTMENT shall research and identify additional cost-effective ways to expand health insurance coverage during the 365 days postpartum in STATE, such as by tailoring existing or proposed health insurance navigator programs and identifying ways to expand Medicaid and other health insurance coverage of voluntary, evidence-based maternal home visiting programs, and shall within one year of enactment of this section, produce a report on such solutions, including to identify which solutions can be undertaken without additional legislation or appropriation. Such report shall be delivered to the Governor and Legislature, and posted on DEPARTMENT’s website.

(C) If before implementing this section, DEPARTMENT determines a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of this section, the agency shall request the waiver or authorization.

(D) Definitions: “evidence-based maternal home visiting program” as defined in this section means an evidence-based home visiting model that is proven to improve child health and be cost effective, as measured by the federal Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) program.