TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma joins the majority of the country in guaranteeing Medicaid coverage for mothers in postpartum care for up to a year, according to an announcement Thursday.
The renewal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services extends the previous limit of 60 days that Oklahomans had to follow prior to the pandemic.
The extension to a year of Medicaid coverage first went into effect as part of the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021.
In 2022, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s HELP Task Force directed the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to request a five year extension.
Supporters say by joining 29 other states and Washington D.C. in expanding the coverage it will drastically improve Oklahoma’s maternal morbidity and mortality rates.
“The idea that we’re supporting moms to have a healthy pregnancy and also have a healthy postpartum period is good for our state,” Rep. Trish Ranson (D-Stillwater) told 2 News.
With federal approval granted Thursday, an additional 14,000 Oklahoma women could be eligible for Medicaid (called SoonerCare in Oklahoma) for up to 12 months after their pregnancy through March 2027.
That means if they qualified at the time of application, nothing can take their SoonerCare away for a full year after a birth or miscarriage.
Ranson wants to take it one step further and codify the expansion into Oklahoma law.
Her bill to make that happen passed the House unanimously and now awaits Senate reading.
“The governor agrees, the HELP Task Force agrees, the health care authority agrees. The legislature has full support behind this. And I think it’s promising that it will pass the Senate.”
The vice president agrees too. Kamala Harris tweeted in part,
"Put simply: this change will save lives. It will help more women access the health care they need to be safe and healthy. And it will strengthen our families, our communities, and our nation as a whole. I applaud Oklahoma and other states that have expanded Medicaid postpartum coverage. And I continue to call on all states to follow their lead."
Dr. Heather Mercer from the Morton Comprehensive Health clinic in Tulsa said she provides prenatal and postpartum care for many women who qualify.
“If you ask people, ‘why’d you wait so long to come in,’ or ‘you’re halfway through your pregnancy. What happened?’ A lot of them will say, ‘well I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t have insurance,’” Dr. Mercer said.
As a native of rural Green Country, she said the expansion could be a lifesaver for families like the ones she grew up with.
“There are many morbidities that go with pregnancies and postpartum-wise that can be prevented. So by allowing patients to have the insurance that they need to get the care that they need, it can lower morbidity and it can lower the mortality rate as well,” Dr. Mercer said.
The postpartum eligibility expansion also raises the income cap for women at time of applying for pregnancy coverage to 210% of the Federal Poverty Level.
If their income goes up or their employment changes before the 12 month limit, they will still keep their SoonerCare coverage.
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