Postpartum

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

CMS Approves State Plan Amendments Extending Postpartum Coverage in Nevada

May 3: CMS marked another important maternal health milestone by approving Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) postpartum coverage extensions in Nevada, an opportunity made possible through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Nationally, people across 46 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.V.I. now have access to Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full 12 months following pregnancy — up from just 60 days before the ARP.

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced Utah’s extension of comprehensive coverage for postpartum individuals for a full 12 months through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

February 23: CMS approved a postpartum coverage extension state plan amendment (SPA) for Alaska (link to come). This SPA approval will extend comprehensive coverage after pregnancy through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for a full 12 months. The approval of Alaska’s SPA marks critical progress in implementing the CMS Maternity Care Action Plan, which supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Maternal Health Blueprint, a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving maternal health, particularly in underserved communities. Alaska is the 44th state, including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands that have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year, made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), and made permanent by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA, 2023), which President Biden signed into law in December 2022.

On the one hand the state of Texas has enacted a policy of literally allowing women with life-threatening pregnancies to die in hospital lobbies rather than save their lives by allowing an emergency abortion.

On the other hand, well, at least if women manage to survive childbirth, they & their newborn baby will have Medicaid coverage for a full year in the future. Via the Austin American-Statesman:

Texas mothers are one step closer to getting health coverage for 12 months following pregnancy.

This week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Texas' plan to provide 12 months of postpartum health care coverage through Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program instead of the current 60 days. Those programs are for people who qualify based on income. The extended coverage will begin March 1.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been a bit odd when it comes to announcing new states joining the 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage approval. Sometimes they issue a fully-detailed press release, as they did with Missouri a month ago; other times, like today, they just sort of throw a quick mention into a larger "roundup" post:

CMS Approves Postpartum Coverage Extensions for Nebraska & Mississippi

Earlier this week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they had approved Missouri's plan to take advantage of the Biden administration's Maternal Health Blueprint (made possible by the American Rescue Plan & Consolidated Appropriations Act) to extend postpartum Medicaid/CHIP coverage to a full 12 month period:

As a result of today’s announcement, up to an additional 18,000 people in Missouri will be eligible for Medicaid for a full year after pregnancy. Medicaid covers 41% of all births in the nation and more than half of all children in the country. With the approval of Missouri’s plan, an estimated 641,000 Americans across 40 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands now have access to extended postpartum coverage. If all states adopted this option, as many as 720,000 people across the United States would be guaranteed Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy.

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

October 16th: CMS approved a state plan amendment for Montana to extend postpartum coverage for a full year for individuals enrolled in Medicaid. The opportunity to extend postpartum coverage was made possible under the American Rescue Plan and made permanent in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Montana’s approval marks 38 states, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands that have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage for an entire year. This approval supports the CMS Maternity Care Action Plan and Biden-Harris Maternal Health Blueprint.

via KFF, the 12 states which haven't expanded postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year include:

Wyoming just became the latest state to have Medicaid coverage extended from 2 months to a full year for new mothers:

CMS approved a postpartum coverage extension state plan amendment (SPA) for Wyoming to extend postpartum coverage for a full year for individuals enrolled in Medicaid. The opportunity to extend postpartum coverage was made possible under the American Rescue Plan and made permanent in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Wyoming’s approval marks 37 states, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands that have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year. This approval supports the CMS Maternity Care Action Planand Biden-Harris Maternal Health Blueprint.

As noted last month:

July 26th, 2023: via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

HHS Approves 12-Month Extension of Postpartum Coverage in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Kansas

Jul 26, 2022 

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to strengthen maternal health, an estimated 509,000 Americans annually are now eligible for essential care for a full year after pregnancy.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced New York’s extension of comprehensive coverage after pregnancy through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for postpartum individuals for a full 12 months.