The Medicaid program funds about 4 in 10 births within the U.S. Federal regulation requires states to offer pregnancy-related Medicaid protection via 60 days postpartum. After that interval, some postpartum people could qualify for Medicaid via one other pathway, however others could lose protection, notably in non-expansion states. To assist enhance maternal well being and protection stability and to assist tackle racial disparities in maternal well being, a provision within the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 gave states a brand new choice to increase Medicaid postpartum protection to 12 months through a state plan modification (SPA). This new choice took impact on April 1, 2022 and was initially obtainable for 5 years; nonetheless, the choice was made everlasting by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023. The Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies (CMS) launched steerage on December 7, 2021 on how states may implement this selection.
States that sought to implement prolonged postpartum protection previous to April 1, 2022 have accomplished so via a piece 1115 waiver or through the use of state funds. This web page tracks state actions to implement prolonged Medicaid postpartum protection, together with states which have applied a 12-month postpartum extension, states which are planning to implement a 12-month extension, states with pending laws to hunt federal approval via a SPA or 1115 waiver, and states which have proposed or acquired approval for a restricted protection extension.
