Expand postpartum care, but don’t make it harder to get

We’ve applauded Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to extend postpartum care for Medicaid recipients from the current 60 days to 12 months.

It’s the right thing to do and it could save lives. According to a 2021 report by the Iowa Maternal Mortality Review Committee, 25% of maternal deaths occur between 43 days to one year after birth. Iowa is one of just a handful of states that hasn’t expanded care. With expanded coverage, doctors can better monitor mothers for potential health problems, including mental health, substance abuse and signs of domestic violence.

“To continue building a robust culture of life, we must also do everything in our power to ensure new moms and their families — especially those who are struggling — have what they need to make ends meet,” Reynolds said in her Condition of the State address.

So, the governor is on the right track. But there’s a catch.

Under Reynolds’ budget plan, the eligibility threshold for Medicaid postpartum care would drop from 380% of poverty to 215% of poverty, roughly $42,000 for a single mother.

So, consequently, postpartum care would expand but fewer mothers will be eligible. A full legislative report on how much money will be saved and how many mothers would lose coverage hasn’t been released.

But a Health and Human Services report found that, based on the current eligibility rules, an additional 6,000 Iowa mothers would benefit from coverage. And a 2022 fiscal analysis found that expanding postpartum care to 12 months under the existing eligibility threshold would cost the state $9 million.

That’s clearly affordable, considering Republicans who run the Legislature have socked away billions in surplus dollars.

We urge the Legislature to modify Reynolds’ plan and expand postpartum coverage while leaving the current eligibility threshold in place. The good news is Rep. Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge and chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee and a nurse, filed a bill that would do just that. Other lawmakers should back her proposal.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com