Cory Booker calls for expanding Medicaid coverage for pregnant women

May 08-- May 8--WASHINGTON -- Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) called Wednesday for drastically expanding Medicaid coverage for pregnant women as he threw his latest policy proposal into the Democratic presidential primary debate.

Booker's plan, reintroduced days ahead of Mother's Day, would expand coverage for pregnant women covered by Medicaid and aims to close the gaps in the mortality rate for black and white mothers after birth.

His proposal would extend their Medicaid coverage to a full year after giving birth, up from the current 60-day limit for some women. It would provide full Medicaid coverage to all pregnant women and those who have recently given birth, rather than limiting coverage to pregnancy-related services. His office did not say how much the proposal would cost.

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Booker first introduced the plan last year, but it languished without action as the congressional session expired.

He brought it back this week, continuing his push to fill out his policy profile as he campaigns for the Democratic nomination to take on President Donald Trump in 2020.

"We live in a nation that spends more than any other country on health care, yet we still have the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths of any country in the developed world," Booker said in a statement, adding that black women are nearly four times as likely as white women to die from complications related to pregnancy.

"We simply cannot continue to accept this alarming status quo," he said.

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Three of Booker's rivals for the presidential nomination cosponsored his plan: Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.).

Booker has lagged behind the top tier contenders in public polling. In recent weeks, he rolled out other sweeping proposals, including calls to legalize marijuana, create government-funded savings accounts for every newborn, and require all gun owners to obtain a federal license to buy or possess a firearm.

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