Sen. lifeline for postpartum benes

For two consecutive years, Mississippi’s House leadership killed an extension of postpartum Medicaid benefits, likely guaranteeing many low-income people to lose health insurance benefits 60 days after giving birth. The Mississippi Senate passed a bill on a 46-5 vote to extend coverage to 12 months. The House had to concur, but instead it died - a victim of politics. The after 60 day postpartum months are the most dangerous. Cutting off care ends diagnostic and treatment interventions. In 2021, the benefit died in a political turf war over a Medicaid Tech Bill, ripped from the legislation at the last minute. In 2022, the bill perished with the assistance of Rep. Joey Hood (R-Ackerman), chairman of the House Medicaid Committee, and Speaker Philip Gunn, (R-Clinton). Gunn told The Associated Press that his decision to kill the bill came from a fear of an appearance of “Medicaid expansion.” He has publicly opposed to Medicaid expansion. Gunn is the current board member of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is a staunch opponent of Medicaid expansion. Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven), chairman of the Senate Medicaid committee, has highlighted that the bill would not have grown the number of Mississippians eligible for Medicaid, but merely extended the length of time for new mothers to access benefits. Between 2013-16, Mississippi’s pregnancy-related maternal mortality rate was 1.9 times higher than the U.S.  - 86% of pregnancy-related deaths occurred postpartum, including 37% after 6 weeks, the Mississippi State Department of Health has reported. The bill would have taken aim at an area of racial disparity where Black mothers are three times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy than whites. Given the margin of support the bill had among Republicans in the Senate, it’s unlikely it would have perished in the House without Gunn and Hood’s opposition. (Source: Jackson Free Press 03/13/22) House Political Games Kill Medicaid Extension For New Mothers in Mississippi | Jackson Free Press | Jackson,

UPDATE: The Senate is ready to throw the legislation another lifeline. Mississippi could renew push to extend Medicaid for new moms - WXXV News 25 (wxxv25.com)