New moms could receive expanded Medicaid coverage up to a year under bipartisan bill

NOW: New moms could receive expanded Medicaid coverage up to a year under bipartisan bill
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MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin is joining a growing number of Republican-led states proposing to expand Medicaid coverage for new moms.

During a public hearing Wednesday, there was unanimous support for a bill that would provide a full year of Medicaid cover to mothers after giving birth.

More than 60 lawmakers, roughly half of the Legislature, signed onto the bipartisan bill. In 2021, the same proposal was introduced but never made it out of committee. It's gaining momentum now after a shift in abortion laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Dr. Jasmine Zapata, chair of the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Chair at the Department of Health Services, said the proposal would be a "historic opportunity" to save lives.

When DHS reviews pregnancy associated deaths, about 50% of those cases are Medicaid patients and two-thirds of those occurred postpartum, according to Zapata.

For Black women in Wisconsin, the statistics are even more grim. Wisconsin is ranked the worst in the nation for Black infant mortality, and Black women are five times more likely to experience complication related to pregnancy or birth than white women.

"I am terrified sometimes, even living here, and when I think about my two daughters, I really contemplate, is Wisconsin the place I want them, as young, Black women, to grow up and have their own children?" Zapata said.

Pregnant women would be eligible for Medicaid benefits for 365 days, instead of the 60 days currently offered, under the bill.

Support for the measure has grown in the state as more Republicans across the U.S. are reversing course, touting this as part of their pro-life agenda in post post-Roe world.

Gracie Skogman, the legislative director for Wisconsin Right to Life, said they're glad to see more states enact laws supporting women post-birth.

"We want to see more of this legislation of comprehensive medical support for women that can extend into health care, housing, all of those avenues we, as pro-life advocates, are passionate about," said Skogman.

The bill would almost certainly be signed into law by Governor Tony Evers if it reaches his desk after he included the same provision in his state budget proposal. Republican lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee are expected to remove Evers' proposal, leaving it up to the GOP-controlled Legislature to pass it and make tweaks if needed.

The estimated cost of the proposal is unknown, but under Gov. Evers' plan, it would cost $34 million over the biennium to expand coverage. If the state accepted federal aid to expand eligibility for the Medicaid program, state health officials say the overall cost would be cheaper.

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