Wisconsin's Shocking Medicaid Move: New Moms Left Behind?!

MADISON, Wis. — It looks like Arkansas is about to become the lonely outlier. After years of political gridlock, Wisconsin Republicans appear poised to finally approve a bipartisan effort to extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers, leaving Arkansas as the only state in the nation without this crucial support for a full year after childbirth.

Wisconsin's Shocking Medicaid Move: New Moms Left ...

For those of us who've been following this saga, it's been frustrating to watch. Wisconsin Democrats, and surprisingly even some Republicans, have been pushing for this expansion for ages, only to be consistently blocked by Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. His previous arguments against expanding welfare programs held firm, until a late-hour change of heart yesterday. We're talking about mothers and newborns here; it seemed like a no-brainer.

The Assembly is expected to give the green light to both the Medicaid expansion and another similarly bipartisan bill mandating insurance coverage for additional cancer screenings for women with dense breast tissue. Both of these measures have already sailed through the state Senate, so it's pretty much a done deal that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will be signing them into law sometime next week. A victory for common sense, really.

What's interesting is the contrast with Arkansas. They're dealing with some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country and, to be fair, they did pass some maternal healthcare legislation last year. They're allowing pregnant women to get temporary Medicaid while their eligibility is sorted and covering doula services, which is good. But they stopped short of extending postpartum Medicaid coverage. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, pushed for their maternal health package after opposing the postpartum extension, suggesting there were alternative coverage options available. It's a different approach, but many believe it falls short.

In Wisconsin, this Medicaid expansion and the breast cancer screening bill represent a real breakthrough, especially considering the frantic negotiations happening as the legislative session winds down. Republicans and Evers are also wrangling over tax cuts, school spending, and all sorts of other things, leveraging the state's hefty budget surplus. It's typical end-of-session craziness, but these two bills look set to survive the chaos.

Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer really deserves a shout-out here. She spearheaded the push for these bills, and it's clearly personal for her. She announced her pregnancy just yesterday and revealed her mother's battle with breast cancer. Neubauer vowed that Democrats would "stop at nothing to get a vote on these bills." Now, that's dedication. She's calling the expected passage of both measures "an incredible win for women and the people of Wisconsin.” Hard to argue with that.

This Medicaid expansion means low-income mothers, those whose income is above the poverty level, will now be able to stay on the state's Medicaid program for a full year after giving birth, a huge improvement from the current paltry two-month coverage period. Let's hope this sets an example for other states, including Arkansas, to prioritize the health and well-being of new mothers.