Ohio Takes a Step Forward to Protect Infant and Maternal Health
April 5, 2022
By Kelly Vyzral, Senior Health Policy Associate
As of April 1, 2022, thousands of women in Ohio at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage are now able to access health care for the critical 12 months after giving birth.
Ohio’s FY 2022-23 biennial budget, signed into law in June 2021, included language that allows Medicaid to extend health coverage to women whose income falls between 138% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for a full year after giving birth. That means a new mother in a family of 4 making between $38,295- $53,000 is now able to maintain Medicaid coverage while she recovers from giving birth and adjusts to life as a new mom. Ohio Medicaid estimates this coverage will benefit approximately 14,000 new moms.
This coverage is a pivotal step forward to protect infant and maternal health and improve Ohio’s dismal maternal mortality rate. The budget included $46 million over the biennium to pay for these services and will allow Ohio to draw down matching funds from the federal government. Medicaid will also be able to collect data on access to services, utilization, and health outcomes, which are all important measures used to support and improve maternal health.