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Nursing, Pages: 2, Research paper

Twelve Months of Care: Advancing Postpartum Medicaid Reform

Twelve Months of Care: Advancing Postpartum Medicaid Reform

Florida has a massive maternal health crisis in which a disproportionate number of maternal deaths happen after the current 60-day postpartum Medicaid coverage window. As a registered nurse in a women’s health clinic, I have also seen first-hand how the sudden ending of coverage unexpectedly impacts patients midstream in treating issues like postpartum depression or hypertension: Twelve Months of Care: Advancing Postpartum Medicaid Reform.

To fill this gap, I support the federal Helping MOMS Act (H.R. 8181) and Florida Senate Bill 348 (SB 348 ) / House Bill 645 (HB 645), which each proposes to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months. This policy brief describes the context, the alternatives, and the recommendations to move quickly on the legislative side to advance the cause of maternal health equity throughout the state.

Context or Scope of the Problem

Florida is one of the worst states in terms of maternal mortality, and almost one in three maternal deaths occur more than 60 days after childbirth. The fact that black and Latina women were disproportionately affected was due to socioeconomic disparities, structural racism, and lack of access to comprehensive care after delivery. Vulnerable postpartum women are currently not covered under essential follow-up for mental health, blood pressure regulation, diabetes management, or family planning under current Medicaid policies. These health gaps cost more emergency visits, worsened chronic diseases, and preventable deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the continued care of a woman should extend for at least one year after delivery (Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), 2020). These recommendations for expanding Medicaid coverage are consistent with these findings and open this critical window to intervene and improve maternal and infant outcomes, particularly in underserved populations.

Policy Alternatives

Currently, in Florida, the Medicaid policy that is presently in place covers only 60 days postpartum, at which point many women lose access to essential care. Some private organizations and nonprofit clinics try to make up the difference, but these efforts are scattered, underfunded and incapable of dealing with the magnitude of the problem. There are a number of policy alternatives. The first case would be that Florida could maintain the status quo, which would still endanger maternal health.

Second, the state could ask for temporary federal waivers to trial a six-month extension, but this requires administrative work and does not give long-term certainty to beneficiaries (Shah & Friedman, 2022). Lastly is the adoption of SB 348/HB 645, a full 12-month extension, with the use of federal funds under the Helping MOMS Act. This policy is not only medically justified but also economically sound, lowering emergency room costs and improving the overall population health indicators. More than 30 states have already enacted these same reforms, and Florida has a powerful precedent.

Policy Recommendations

To ensure all postpartum women covered under Medicaid keep their benefits going for 12 months following childbirth, Florida legislators need to pass SB 348 / HB 645. First, they should start the implementation by coordinating with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Department of Health to ensure enrollment continuity and readiness of the system. Therefore, the state should launch public awareness campaigns in clinics, hospitals, and communities to inform new mothers about the extended benefits of postpartum Medicaid services.

However, effective identification and monitoring of high-risk cases can be made via data-sharing agreements with maternal health programs and nonprofits (Till et al., 2023). Furthermore, the Florida Medicaid agency should cooperate with federal agencies to obtain additional federal matching funds as directed in H.R. 8181. All these steps need the collective efforts of nurses, physicians, advocates, and lawmakers who help push for budgetary approval and regulatory definition (McHugh et al., 2021). However, during committee hearings, stakeholder education, along with testimony from those affected, including mothers and healthcare providers, will be crucial to getting bipartisan support.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is morally correct and necessary for Medicaid to extend postpartum help to mothers for 12 months. In most cases, the deaths happen after the mothers’ coverage is over, especially if they cannot afford to advance their care. Passing SB 348 / HB 645 in Florida and backing the Helping MOMS Act at the federal level will ensure more postpartum mothers receive equal, constant, and life-saving care. The moment to take action is here because it affects our families, the people around us, and the future we want.

References

McHugh, K., Martinez, R. M., & Alper, J. (2021). Proceedings of a workshop. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK575266/

Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). (2020). Strategies and actions: Improving maternal health and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568218/

Shah, S., & Friedman, H. (2022). Medicaid and moms: The potential impact of extending Medicaid coverage to mothers for 1 year after delivery. Journal of Perinatology, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01299-w

Till, S., Mkhize, M., Farao, J., Shandu, L. D., Muthelo, L., Coleman, T. L., Mbombi, M., Bopape, M., Klingberg, S., Van Heerden, A., Mothiba, T., Densmore, M., & Dias, N. X. V. (2023). Digital health technologies for maternal and child health in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries: Cross-disciplinary scoping review with stakeholder consultation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e42161. https://doi.org/10.2196/42161

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Question 

Policy briefs
A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it, and recommendations on the best option. Policy briefs must deliver critical information to the stakeholders who can influence a specific policy. For assignment 3 you will develop a policy brief building on your policy issues and theory explored in assignments 1 and 2.

The assignment should include:

  • Title: A good title quickly communicates the contents of the brief in a memorable way.
  • Introduction: This would be one paragraph that to include your health policy issue and the proposed policy action.
  • Context or Scope of Problem: This section communicates the importance of the problem and aims to convince the stakeholders of the necessity of policy action.
  • Policy Alternatives: This section discusses the current policy approach and explains proposed options. It should be fair and accurate while convincing the stakeholders why the policy action proposed in the brief is the most desirable.
  • Policy Recommendations: This section contains the most detailed explanation of the concrete steps to be taken to address the policy issue.
  • Conclusion

    Twelve Months of Care: Advancing Postpartum Medicaid Reform

    Twelve Months of Care: Advancing Postpartum Medicaid Reform

To Prepare

  • Review the Learning resources on writing policy briefs.

The Assignment: (2 pages)
Submit a 2 page (not including title page and references) policy brief. Include the following:

  • Title: A good title quickly communicates the contents of the brief in a memorable way.
  • Introduction: This would be one paragraph that includes the students health policy issue and the proposed policy action.
  • Context or Scope of Problem: This section communicates the importance of the problem and aims to convince the reader of the necessity of policy action.
  • Policy Alternatives: This section discusses the current policy approach and explains proposed options. It should be fair and accurate while convincing the reader why the policy action proposed in the brief is the most desirable.
  • Policy Recommendations: This section contains the most detailed explanation of the concrete steps to be taken to address the policy issue.
  • Conclusion

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. Although policy briefs do not usually include references, since this is a scholarly paper a reference page is required.

The Walden Writing Center Sample Paper provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632.). All papers submitted must use this formatting.