Postpartum complications in mothers do not end 60 days after birth, yet their Florida Medicaid health care coverage ends at this time. A bipartisan group of Florida legislators is now working to extend this coverage to a full year.
Leading the fight is Florida Rep. Kamia Brown, D-Orange County. She’s spent years attempting to get this legislation passed, and it finally has bipartisan support.
“I know of so many women who were not successful in coming home with their baby or who experienced complications weeks after birth,” Brown told Florida Political Review.
Currently, Florida Medicaid covers pregnancy and 60 days after birth for mothers with low or no income. After those 60 days, mothers no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage unless they qualify through some other way.
The issue is that complications can happen up to one year after the birth itself. This includes hemorrhaging, heart disease, infection, high blood pressure, postpartum depression and more.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about three in five pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented. With access to health care, mothers can receive regular checkups and be informed on warning signs.
The health of the mother directly impacts the health of their child. The circularity between mother and child is one of the main driving forces behind extending this health care.
Florida House Speaker Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, spoke about the importance of extending postpartum Medicaid coverage. “We know that healthy moms are better positioned to raise healthy and thriving children,” he said.
Senate Bill 2518 includes the legislation to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year. In this bill, women who make at or under 185% of the federal poverty line would qualify for coverage.
With this extension, about 97,600 women are expected to be eligible for coverage.
The extension outlined in the Florida House’s proposed budget will cost $240 million. Florida will pay about $93 million while the rest will be covered by federal Medicaid matching funds.
The Florida legislature is in the midst of budget conferences. Brown told Florida Political Review that this extension “is a priority in the House’s budget but not a priority in the budget for the Senate.”
This legislation is especially critical for minority communities. Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Florida has already acted to tackle this issue. Previous initiatives have been successful in reducing the state’s maternal mortality rate. However, there’s still more that can be done to close the racial disparity gap.
Republicans and Democrats in the Florida House agree that postnatal coverage is critical to bridging the racial gap in the health of mothers and children.
After hearing from her constituents, friends, family, and living through her own experience, Brown knew something had to be done about these disparities in the health care system.
Extending postpartum Florida Medicaid health care coverage is only one step of many for Brown. She sponsored House Bill 1381 to provide better health care to underserved minority communities. The bill also includes a pilot program to provide people with tool kits for telehealth appointments.
One of Brown’s sources of inspiration has been her colleague, Charles Johnson, who
lost his wife due to postpartum complications. Johnson started the foundation 4Kira4Moms to advocate for improved maternal health policies.
Brown’s passion for this issue stems from her desire to be an advocate. “Not everybody knows how to advocate for themselves,” she told Florida Political Review. “I know how to advocate for myself, but many moms are not given the tools to do so themselves.”
The next step is for the Senate to agree to include funds for this Medicaid extension in Florida’s 2021-22 budget. A decision will need to be made before the legislature adjourns for the season on April 30.
Featured image: A mother and child. Unmodified photo by Priya dsc used under a Creative Commons license. (https://bit.ly/3sqQ9Vf)
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