Georgia expands Medicaid coverage for new mothers, but is it enough?
Georgia expands Medicaid coverage for new mothers
Facing one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the US, Georgia lawmakers expanded Medicaid coverage for new moms, from 6 months to a 12 months after they deliver. One obstetrician says the 6 months of extra health coverage is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough.
ATLANTA - Now that Georgia has expanded Medicaid coverage for new mothers for up to a year after they give birth, Dr. Megan Grilliot, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Tanner Medical Center, says it a step in the right direction.
But, is it enough in a state that ranks second in the nation when it comes to maternal mortality?
"I would say no, it's not enough," Dr. Grilliot says. "The majority of these women who lose their lives related to pregnancy have chronic medical problems that existed well before pregnancy."
Ideally, she says, women with chronic health issues would have access to medical care going into their pregnancy, and health coverage that stretches beyond a year afterwards to manage their ongoing health issues.
"These are often chronic medical problems that we are dealing with," she says. "They do not go away at 12 months."
Each year, about 700 women in the US die from pregnancy-related complications, and the CDC says almost two-thirds of those deaths are preventable.
Black women are 2 or 3 times more likely to died during or after pregnancy than white women.
The highest risk window for blood pressure or bleeding disorders is the 6 weeks after delivery, but Dr. Grilliot says they are also seeing a jump in mothers dying by suicide and from fatal drug overdoses.
"So, those are occurring much further out from delivery in the six months, 12 months, 18 months after delivery," Grilliot says.
About 42% of US births are paid for by Medicaid, a federal health insurance program designed for lower income Americans and those living with a disability.
For decades, Grilliot says, much of the focus has been on improving neonatal care, helping babies born early or with complications survive.
Now, she says, the pendulum is shifting towards better care for new mothers.
"Now that we realize that we're actually not doing any good for these babies and these families, to focus solely on the baby's outcome, while missing the outcome of the mother's," Grilliot says. "These children, whose entire lives will be spent without their mothers, I mean, that's a loss that, unfortunately, it has taken way too long to recognize."