You know the old saying about hard-won progress being “two steps forward and one step back?” The Missouri General Assembly doesn’t often meet even that low standard when it comes to expanding Medicaid to the people who need it. State leaders in Jefferson City are on the cusp of delivering an important victory for needy mothers — but they could also produce yet another disappointment.
The good news is that the state Senate gave initial approval last week to a bill that would expand postpartum Medicaid coverage from the current 60 days to a full year. The move comes a year after a similar effort failed in the legislature. This time, though, the effort was backed by a coalition of women senators on both sides of the political aisle.
If it gets final approval, an estimated 4,600 new mothers in the state of Missouri could benefit. Officials say that 61 Missouri women die every year either while pregnant or within a year after giving birth — giving the state the 12th-highest maternal mortality rate in the country.
