Wisconsin mothers on Medicaid will officially begin keeping coverage for a year after giving birth starting July 1, as the postpartum Medicaid extension signed into law earlier this year takes effect. 

Wisconsin became the 49th state in the U.S. to opt into the Medicaid extension in March, following years of gridlock in the Legislature. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) had opposed taking the expansion even as a majority of state legislators  including Republican and Democratic members and Gov. Tony Evers supported the move.

Evers said in a statement that the extension was “the right move for Wisconsin families and the right move for our state, and I’m darn proud that we got this done so that more moms and babies have the care they need when they need it.” 

“We know that postpartum recovery is a heckuva a lot longer than 60 days, and expanded postpartum coverage can and will save lives,” Evers said. “That’s why I’ve been fighting to get this done for a long time, and I am glad Wisconsin’s women and families are finally getting the expanded coverage they deserve.”

During a press call Tuesday, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary Kirsten Johnson said it’s expected that 16,000 mothers over the next year — from today until July 2027  — will benefit from the expanded coverage. 

“This is a tremendous win for our state to provide access to care when a person needs it the most. Continuous coverage during the first year after pregnancy is critical to help moms manage their health, reduce long-term emotional and financial strain on families, reduce preventable deaths in the months following a pregnancy, and prevent gaps in healthcare coverage,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the agency is hoping the expanding coverage will lead to a decrease in maternal death and infant mortality rates. She said some of the metrics that the agency will be looking at to understand the impact include overall use of benefits, including how frequently women are using them and what they are using them for, as well as data on claims and maternal deaths.

Medicaid covers two out of every five births in Wisconsin, according to DHS. 

People in Wisconsin are typically only eligible for Medicaid coverage if they make up to 100% of the federal poverty level, but pregnant women can receive Medicaid coverage if they have an annual income of up to 306% of the federal poverty level. Without the expansion, babies born in Wisconsin covered by Medicaid received coverage for a full year, while their mothers would lose Medicaid coverage 60 days after giving birth if they made over 100% of the federal poverty level. 

Now, mothers between the 100% and 306% levels will get to keep their coverage for a full year.

Coverage will continue automatically for anyone whose 60-day postpartum coverage was scheduled to end on May 31 or later. 

According to DHS, Medicaid members whose 60-day postpartum coverage ended after the law was signed on March 18 and no longer have any BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid coverage will need to call their agency to request reinstatement of their coverage for the remainder of their 12-month postpartum period. DHS plans to send those individuals a letter with instructions. 

Jasmine Zapata, state epidemiologist for maternal and child health and chronic diseases and chief medical office at the Bureau of Community Health Promotion, said mental health conditions, including overdoses, constitute one of the leading causes of death for postpartum women and many of those deaths tend to happen after 60 days postpartum. She said expanded access to mental health services will be one piece that helps save lives.

“Basically, per 100,000 live births, we’re hoping that between one and seven can be saved based on all of the projections, so that’s something we’ll be watching closely,” Zapata said. 

Johnson and Zapata said the next step will be for the agency to encourage its healthcare partners and providers to help Medicaid members understand how their benefits have changed. 

“It’s one thing to have access to care, but there are groups of people who have access to care, but who don’t utilize that care, and so that’s something that is definitely going to be important,” Zapata said, adding that the state  will continue to work on expanding Wisconsin women’s use  of benefits.