The federal agency said April 1 it would allow states to take advantage of the new option for the next five years to address the crisis of pregnancy-related deaths and maternal morbidity nationwide.
Missouri’s maternal morbidity rates are among the highest in the nation, especially among women of color.
A bill introduced recently in the Missouri legislature would have extended postpartum coverage, but it failed to pass. In 2018, the state expanded postpartum Medicaid coverage to women with a substance use disorder, but those benefits have since been paused.
As of June 16, CMS says 14 states and Washington, D.C., have expanded postpartum coverage, a move that affects 253,000 people.
