By Matt Yonke | February 26, 2023
On February 26, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves tweeted a statement urging his state’s legislature to pass a law extending Medicare coverage for mothers and new babies for 12 months past the date of the child’s birth.
Mississippi already had presumptive coverage to provide prenatal care for mothers and their babies, but during the Covid19 health emergency, 12 months of postpartum care was included in the state’s coverage.
That extended coverage was set to end as the Covid emergency recedes, but Reeves’ push could make that coverage permanent if the legislature puts it into law.
The very fact that lawmakers have not slammed the door on extending this kind of coverage for mothers and babies is a hopeful sign as we navigate the post-Roe landscape in the hope of creating a safer future for mothers, babies, and families in our country.