HHS Praises States for Expanding Medicaid and CHIP Coverage

According to a May 25 press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved California, Florida, Kentucky, and Oregon, actions to expand Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to 12 months postpartum. The expansion of coverage in these states is possible due to a new state plan opportunity that is included in the American Rescue Plan.

The release states that “California, Florida, Kentucky, and Oregon join South Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Louisiana, Virginia, New Jersey, and Illinois in extending Medicaid and CHIP coverage from 60 days to 12 months postpartum. CMS continues working with other state partners to extend coverage for 12 months after pregnancy, which has also been proposed in several other states, including Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, and Connecticut, as well as the District of Columbia. As a result of these efforts, as many as 720,000 pregnant and postpartum individuals across the United States, annually, could be guaranteed Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy.”

That said, “Medicaid covers 42 percent of all births in the nation. This new option for states to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage is part of the ongoing efforts of HHS and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to address the disparities in maternal health outcomes by opening the door to postpartum care for hundreds of thousands of parents.”

A report published by the HHS Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) says that one in three pregnancy-related deaths occur between one week and one year after childbirth.  “The postpartum period is critical for recovering from childbirth, addressing complications of delivery, ensuring mental health, managing infant care, and transitioning from obstetric to primary care,” the release adds.

The announcement is part of an ongoing effort from HHS to support safe pregnancies and childbirth, eradicate pregnancy-related health disparities, and improve health outcomes for parents and infants in the U.S.