The AAMC joined over 100 national organizations in a Nov.14 letter urging congressional leadership to establish permanent, nationwide 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage in the year-end legislative package.
The letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) noted that the United States is still facing a worsening maternal health crisis. The letter highlighted that over 40% of births in the United States are covered by the Medicaid program and that pregnancy-related deaths disproportionately occur between one-week and one-year postpartum. “Extending Medicaid coverage from the current requirement of 60-days postpartum to 12-months nationwide is critical to lowering the nation’s alarming maternal mortality rate,” the groups noted.
In the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), Congress provided states with the option to expand coverage, via waiver, for up to 12 months postpartum. To date, 34 states have implemented the waiver or have plans to, but without congressional action these waivers will expire in 2027. The groups emphasized the importance of ensuring that “all enrollees, regardless of zip code, can access continuous care.”
- Washington Highlights