Feds reject Texas’ application to extend postpartum Medicaid to six months

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Texas’ software to increase Medicaid protection for brand new moms from two months to 6 months has been denied by the federal Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers, and the company supplied no speedy purpose for the rejection.

Legislators who pushed for the extension say they consider the applying was rejected due to language that might be construed to exclude pregnant girls who’ve abortions, together with medically vital abortions. The language within the invoice that handed throughout the 2021 legislative session prolonged protection to pregnant girls who ship a child or have an “involuntary miscarriage.”

“That’s not a medical time period, involuntary miscarriage,” stated Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, a nurse and former well being educator. “What I’m involved about, and I believe what possibly was the priority right here, is these individuals who wished their pregnancies to come back to full time period however have problems and a termination later in being pregnant and ought to be allowed to stay on Medicaid.”

Kelli Weldon, a spokesperson for the Texas Well being and Human Providers Fee, stated CMS has verbally confirmed that Texas’ software isn’t approvable; HHSC officers have requested written affirmation.

Weldon directed questions on why the applying was not approvable to CMS, which didn’t instantly reply to request for remark.

The stalled-out software course of is a “self-inflicted wound,” Howard stated. As a part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, the federal authorities eased the applying necessities for states that expanded Medicaid for a full 12 months postpartum.

The Texas Home of Representatives overwhelmingly authorised a invoice that supplied 12 months of protection, however the Senate amended the laws to 6 months as a substitute. Due to that change, the state was required to undergo the extra onerous software course of.

Home Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, blamed President Joe Biden for the applying being rejected.

“That is the most recent hypocritical, disappointing transfer by the Biden administration that places the care and desires of Texas moms and infants at jeopardy — all within the identify of partisan politics,” he stated in an announcement on Twitter.

Phelan indicated that he plans to as soon as once more push for a full 12 months of postpartum Medicaid. State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, who filed the unique invoice final session, stated she is optimistic about it passing each chambers subsequent 12 months.

“It was already my plan to work on including this extra six months that we didn’t obtain over the past legislative session,” Rose stated. “However particularly in gentle of right this moment’s information and the Supreme Court docket determination to overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s by no means been extra important that our mothers have entry to complete well being care.”

Rose stated she may even push to take away any language that will have resulted within the software being denied.

Texas is one in all simply 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid; consequently, Medicaid in Texas largely serves low-income youngsters. Pregnant Texans usually tend to be uninsured and fewer prone to search early prenatal care than the remainder of the nation, and the state has staggering charges of maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly amongst Black girls.

Increasing postpartum Medicaid to at least one 12 months was one of many high suggestions of the state’s Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Evaluation Committee. Howard stated that is going to develop into solely extra urgent now that Texas has banned all abortions, besides to avoid wasting the lifetime of the pregnant affected person.

“Over half of births in Texas are Medicaid births already,” she stated. “Girls who’ve means will be capable to entry abortion by touring, and people with extra restricted means can have extra boundaries, so logically, which means a rise in Medicaid births.”

Proper now, as a result of ongoing federally declared Public Well being Emergency, nobody is being moved off of the Medicaid rolls, even after their eligibility expires. That state of emergency is ready to run out this fall, although the federal authorities has prolonged it many instances already.

“We’re hopeful CMS will work with us towards approval earlier than the tip of the Public Well being Emergency to make sure girls in Texas Medicaid proceed to obtain postpartum care,” Weldon stated in an emailed assertion.

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