The Biden administration has expanded full-year postpartum coverage for beneficiaries on Medicaid in three states plus the District of Columbia, the latest effort by the administration to improve maternal mortality outcomes.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced approvals to Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico and the District of Columbia on Thursday to extend postpartum Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage for 12 months.
This brings the total number of states that have expanded coverage up to 14 states and the district.
“This is only the beginning,” Vice President Kamala Harris said during a call with reporters Thursday. “We will continue to fight until every state has expanded Medicaid coverage.”
The American Rescue Plan Act expanded postpartum coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries for states for up to five years. The latest announcement means that 15,000 people in the three states and the district can get the extra coverage.
“It offers states an opportunity to provide life-saving care that can reduce pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity, as well as improve continuity of care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac conditions, substance use disorder and depression—particularly for underserved communities,” CMS said in a statement.
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said the latest approvals are part of a larger effort by the administration to tackle maternal health, including rolling out a new “birthing friendly” designation for hospitals on the agency’s compare website.
The goal of the designation is to help “consumers in choosing hospitals by implementing best practices that advance healthcare quality and equity,” she told reporters.