Anti-abortion Wisconsin lawmakers now eye Medicaid expansion

MADISON, Wis. — Low-income Wisconsin moms may keep on Medicaid longer after giving start and with much less paperwork below a invoice that has gained bipartisan assist within the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Practically half of the state’s lawmakers have co-sponsored the invoice that got here earlier than the Senate insurance coverage committee for a listening to on Wednesday. At the moment, Wisconsinites can enroll within the state-supported and federally-funded healthcare program if they’re pregnant and qualify as low-income, however need to recertify for this system 60 days after giving start. Underneath the proposal, they may maintain protection for a yr, even when their family earnings will increase.

Democrats have lengthy supported Medicare growth in Wisconsin and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is more likely to assist the measure, which is analogous Medicaid growth in his funds proposal final month. In areas of disagreement with Republican lawmakers, Evers has used issued a report variety of vetoes.

An identical invoice didn’t go the Wisconsin Legislature in 2021, and Republicans rejected Evers’ request within the final funds cycle to determine one yr of postpartum Medicaid advantages, opting as a substitute to increase them to 90 days. The state Division of Well being Providers continues to be ready on federal approval for that extension.

However Republican lawmakers throughout the nation are transferring to increase entry to postpartum well being care after the Supreme Courtroom overturned the constitutional proper to an abortion final June. They are saying the efforts are central to conservative anti-abortion platforms, however in lots of states, together with Wisconsin, Republicans have lengthy opposed efforts to increase Medicaid.

“I’m proudly pro-life, and this invoice must be a part of a pro-life bundle,” stated Republican Rep. Donna Rozar, the invoice’s sponsor within the Meeting. “One of the best ways to have wholesome infants is to have wholesome moms.”

Roughly 40% of births are eligible for Medicaid protection, and states are required to supply eligible moms at the least two months of taxpayer funded protection. Thirty states together with the District of Columbia have already expanded protection to 12 months for brand spanking new moms, and eight states have plans to implement 12-month expansions, in keeping with the non-profit Kaiser Household Basis, which researches well being care points.

The Wisconsin measure is backed by medical teams together with the Kids’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Medical Society, in addition to anti-abortion teams corresponding to Wisconsin Proper to Life and Professional-Life Wisconsin.

Roughly 50 to 60 Wisconsin moms die every year after childbirth, Dr. Jasmine Zapata, a chief medical officer the well being division, instructed lawmakers Wednesday.

“That’s not one thing I would want on anybody else, and when you’re in that state of affairs, even one life is just too many,” Zapata stated.

No person attending the listening to spoke in opposition to the invoice.

The proposed growth would price the state greater than $21 million and prolong protection to almost 5,300 extra moms, in keeping with well being division estimates.

Wisconsin stays considered one of simply 10 states that haven’t accepted federal funds to increase Medicaid eligibility above the federal poverty line, regardless of pushes from Evers and different Democrats to take action.

If Wisconsin have been to just accept the federal Medicaid growth, the prices of increasing protection for brand spanking new moms would drop to round $17 million, in keeping with well being division estimates.

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Hurt Venhuizen is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.