Oregon is newly approved to extend postpartum medical coverage under Medicaid. This means qualifying moms may now access physical and behavioral health services for a full year after giving birth.
Before the change, pregnancy-related medical coverage under the Oregon Health Plan lasted for 60 days after childbirth. A report by Health and Human Services Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation cites one in three deaths occur between one week and one year-- following delivery.
Oregon Health Authority spokesperson Erica Heartquist said this federal decision to extend coverage is critical to the well-being of moms and babies.
“The postpartum period, as we know, is an important time for physical recovery, addressing pregnancy spacing, managing chronic conditions that may have been exacerbated during pregnancy, providing breast feeding support and ensuring mental health.”
The expansion of coverage was made possible by a new opportunity included in the American Rescue Plan.
The postpartum medical coverage extension is aimed at advancing Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) goal of eliminating health inequities by 2030. The above-mentioned HHS report highlights the inequity in pregnancy-related deaths which are two to three times higher among black non-Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native populations compared to white populations.
Medicaid covers 42% of births in the nation. Last week, California, Kentucky and Florida joined Oregon as states approved to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage—a policy shift expected to benefit over 126,000 women in the four states.
Visit Medicaid.gov to learn more about the Medicaid and CHIP state plan amendment extensions of postpartum coverage in Oregon.
