But other advocates say the extensions provide cover to lawmakers who don’t want to fully expand Medicaid, which would give longer-lasting insurance coverage to these low-income women and others. Some maternal health advocates say the new postpartum benefits could open the door to Medicaid expansion in some states. Subscribe to KHN's free Morning Briefing. The option is currently available to states only until March 31, 2027. Some took advantage of a provision of the American Rescue Plan Act that allows states to extend coverage using a Medicaid state plan amendment, an easier path than applying for a federal waiver. But nine of those states, mostly in the South, have sought or plan to seek an extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, in many cases to a full year after a birth. Georgia is one of a dozen states that have opted not to fully expand Medicaid - the federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities - under the Affordable Care Act. And, now, the state plans to broaden that benefits period to a year. In 2021, Georgia extended the Medicaid coverage window to six months postpartum. Georgia lawmakers, recognizing the state’s high rate of pregnancy-related deaths, have taken action. “If they needed other postpartum issues followed up, it was rather difficult to get them in within that finite period of time,” said Brown, who works at the Family Health Centers of Georgia, a group of community health centers. That meant the Medicaid benefits of many women expired before they could be referred to other medical providers for help with serious health problems, said Dr.
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