WASHINGTON – Labor and delivery are thought of as the riskiest times for new mothers, but many women die in the weeks and months after giving birth.
Now a provision in the COVID-19 relief bill could help change that. The legislation gives states the option of extending Medicaid coverage to women with low to modest incomes for a full year after childbirth.
States are currently required to provide 60 days of coverage, but medical experts point to research showing that women can die from pregnancy-related conditions up to a year after giving birth, and that 3 in 5 of all such deaths are preventable.
The maternal health provisions would make it easier for states to cover new mothers for a full year by cutting the time and paperwork needed to