On March 7, 2023, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2212 with bipartisan support. Mississippi physicians are thrilled that eligible moms on Medicaid will now have 12 months of postpartum coverage after delivery.
We thank all Mississippi legislators who supported this bill including Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann and Chairman Kevin Blackwell who authored the bill and for their tireless support of mothers and babies. We appreciate Speaker Phillip Gunn and Chairman Joey Hood for allowing the floor vote and we are exceedingly grateful to Representative Missy McGee for her excellent presentation and explanation of the bill. Thank you also to Governor Tate Reeves, Medicaid Director Drew Snyder, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch for their recent statements of support.
This bill will remove a significant barrier to mothers’ ability to get access to medical care to treat chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Mothers now can have “interpregnancy care” which allows them to get healthy between pregnancies. It is estimated that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable. Optimizing mother’s health gives their next baby the best chance for a healthy start.
Prematurity is the leading cause of infant mortality in Mississippi and Mississippi leads the nation with 15% of all babies being born prematurely. Sadly, we also lead the nation in infant mortality, fetal demise, and low birthweight babies. Mothers who have one premature baby are much more likely to have another premature baby if they get pregnant too soon. Postpartum care allows mothers to space out their pregnancies.
Passing 12-month postpartum coverage is one step towards a healthier Mississippi. We look forward to working with other stakeholders, physician groups, and the Division of Medicaid to ensure that eligible mothers have continuous coverage. Health insurance is just one of the elements of access to healthcare. We must strive to provide mothers with timeliness of services, access to services in local hospitals and clinics and
an adequate workforce to provide those services. Passing postpartum coverage helps secure a better future for all Mississippians.
For further information:
Dr. Angela Weathersby, MSAAP Executive Director, director@aapms.org,
601.605.6425
The following pediatricians are available for interviews
Dr. Anita Henderson, Hattiesburg, anitahend@aol.com, 601.579.3000