Postpartum care offers the opportunity to monitor recovery from childbirth as well as to address other health care needs, such as postpartum depression, chronic conditions, and family planning. However, for individuals enrolled in Medicaid coverage by virtue of their pregnancy, such coverage ends after 60 days postpartum, and many of these individuals may not be eligible under another Medicaid pathway.
This presentation continued the Commission’s discussion of extending the postpartum coverage period, focusing on whether the extension should be mandatory or optional for states and how such an extension would be financed. The presentation highlighted the implications for health equity, coverage, and continuity.