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AUSTIN — Thousands of low-income mothers in Texas will receive a full year of health insurance after they’ve given birth under a new law that extends Medicaid benefits.
Right now, the postpartum coverage cuts off within two months. Advocates say the increase is critical to prevent maternal deaths amid an alarming rise nationwide.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed the policy into law on Friday after it passed the GOP-led Legislature with near unanimous support, according to lawmakers.
“I am elated that women will continue to have comprehensive care after delivery of their babies,” said state Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, who carried the legislation. “It’s a good day for Texas moms.”
The change is the most significant step state Republicans have taken in recent years to broaden the safety net health care program. At least 41 other states already have a full year of postpartum Medicaid coverage or are planning to implement the policy, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“We’re excited that Texas is catching up to the rest of the country on postpartum health coverage,” said Diana Forester, Director of Health olicy for Texans Care for Children, in a statement.
The bill signing was closed to the press. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The change still needs sign-off from the federal government, which helps foot the bill. Anti-abortion language added by the Senate — which critics worried could put federal approval in jeopardy — was ultimately watered down.
The new policy will cover women for the 12 months after their pregnancies end. Medicaid, which is funded by the state and federal government, covers doctors’ visits, prescriptions and other health needs.
House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who named the policy a priority this year, celebrated the bill’s signing into law with a tweet.
“This is a huge victory for new moms (& babies!) in the State of TX, & I am so proud of its passage,” he wrote.
Texas has the highest number of adults and children without health insurance in the nation. Because the state has not expanded Medicaid to cover more low-income adults, the program primarily covers children and pregnant women. Roughly half the births in Texas are financed by Medicaid.
Health care advocates, including a task force that studies maternal mortalities, have long pushed for a full year of postpartum Medicaid coverage. They argued two months is not enough time for women to address postpartum depression or other serious conditions that arise during pregnancies.
Many of the maternal mortalities in Texas occurred in the months after childbirth, and most were preventable, according to state analysis of the deaths. Black women died at disproportionate rates.
Last session, the House approved a full year of postpartum Medicaid benefits, but the Senate watered it down to six months. That change never received approval from federal regulators who reportedly took issue with eligibility restrictions that excluded women who terminated their pregnancies, even in medical emergencies.