Lawmakers in more than a handful of states have passed measures this legislative session to expand Medicaid postpartum care coverage for mothers from 60 days to 12 months.
This year, Montana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska have joined dozens of states that have already implemented the expansion option under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021.
“The year that follows delivery is a very vulnerable year for the pregnant person,” Annie Glover, a senior research scientist at the University of Montana’s Rural Institute for Inclusive Families, told KFF Health News.
Mothers covered by Medicaid are guaranteed 60 days of postpartum coverage under federal law. The ARP option allows states to amend their state plans to extend the coverage to a full year post-birth. Louisiana was the first state to extend postpartum coverage under its state plan….