Bipartisan group of Missouri lawmakers look to extend healthcare coverage for new moms
Under the current law, low-income pregnant women who qualify for Medicaid can receive postpartum coverage for 60 days after giving birth. But because of the state's high maternal mortality rate, members on both sides of the aisle want to increase coverage to 12 months.
"Each year, around 60 women die within one year of being pregnant," Sen.
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"This coverage is still not enacted because the
The legislation is sponsored by McCreery and Gannon. Last year, a similar bill fell short of the finish line.
"Helping women and children should be a priority we all share," McCreery said. "I believe this is the year that the legislature can put people before politics to get this done to help families across our beautiful state."
Due to a provision in the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, each state is allowed to expand Medicaid coverage to women up to 12 months. The urgency in Gannon's bill comes as the state will soon be able to start Medicaid eligibility renewals again. Because of the pandemic, states were prohibited from removing people from Medicaid for three years. This could include women who were added when they were pregnant but no longer qualify and could lose coverage.
According to the state health department, the three top causes of death in postpartum women are mental health, cardiovascular disease, and injury.
"In this state, 63% of deaths were postpartum were greater than 60 days," Dr.
The director of the state's Medicaid program told committee members this legislation is a step in the right direction in addressing maternal mortality.
"What this would do is say we're not going to make a distinction based on the coverage type; we're going to extend that full-blown coverage for a period of 12 months," director of Missouri HealthNet Todd Richardson said.
During his annual State of the State address, Gov.
If passed by the
The bill is now in the hands of the full
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