The Texas Medical Association and 44 other state and local organizations are urging Congress to pass the Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (MOMS) Act, which unanimously passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in November.
"Despite the life-threatening risks that women face in the postpartum period, Texas Medicaid expires 60 days after the birth of a baby, leaving many Texas mothers without access to medical and behavioral health care during a critical time," the letter says. "Extension of Medicaid coverage for a full year would help more Texas mothers access primary, specialty, and behavioral health care during a critical window of time following the birth of their baby."
U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Lewisville), and Dan Crenshaw (R-Houston) are among the sponsors of the federal bill, which would also increase the amount of federal Medicaid funds the state receives by 5% for postpartum women for one year to offset the cost of the extension.
"To ensure that Congress has an opportunity to vote on the bill soon, we respectfully request that you include the bill in an end-of-year legislative package," medicine wrote. "This strong bipartisan legislation … will improve the lives of women, children, and families by helping combat maternal mortality and prevent harmful pregnancy complications."
Texas' maternal death rate for new moms – 14.6 per 100,000 live births in 2012, the last year for which there is accurate data – is slightly below the national average of 15.9, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC).
Expanding coverage for new moms will help curb those death rates, particularly in Texas, which leads the nation in uninsured people.
"The majority of Texans agree that lawmakers should do more to improve maternal health," medicine's letter to Congress says. "Recent statewide polls from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation found that a majority of Texas men and women say that reducing the number of women who die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth should be a top priority for lawmakers."
TMA has been working hard to stop all maternal deaths in Texas, including adopting an eight-point plan to protect the health of all pregnant women and new mothers.
A primary component of that plan: expanding coverage for 12 months for preventive, primary, behavioral, and specialty care before, during, and after pregnancy.
During the 2019 Texas legislative session, TMA strongly supported House Bill 744, which would've allowed continued Medicaid coverage for eligible women up to 12 months postpartum. HB 744 was voted out of the House 87-43, but did not get a hearing in the Senate.
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity | Medicaid | Medicaid and CHIP advocacy
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Support Maternal Health Coverage for Texas Women
Becoming a new mother is a time of celebration and joy. Yet for many Texas women the journey to motherhood can be perilous and potentially deadly. According to new data from the state's panel of maternal health experts, too many women die during pregnancy or in the year following, though 9 in 10 of these deaths were potentially preventable. Read More
Expanded State Services for Some New Mothers Now Available
Certain new mothers in Texas are now eligible for expanded care through Healthy Texas Women (HTW) after the first 60 days of giving birth, including treatment for postpartum depression and substance use disorder. Read More
Two recent studies suggest expanding Medicaid will not only save Texas money, but add to the Lone Star State's coffers. Read More
Health care in the U.S. Congress