Maternal Medicaid extension doesn’t feel like a win

I was really happy to hear that the Republican Legislature voted to extend care for newborns and their mothers to 12 months under Medicaid. Infants deserve a healthy start in life and babies and moms can have severe complications from pregnancy and delivery. So why am I so disappointed in this win for low-income families? Maybe it's just me, but it feels wrong that Iowa would lower the income eligibility when infant mortality numbers are up and yet spend money on so-called "clinics" that provide pregnancy tests, an ultrasound, dubious advice and some freebies? Sink that money into real health care if you want women who can't afford the cost of having a child to have hope that the outcome of that pregnancy (wanted or not) is positive.

Susan Benderson

Cedar Rapids