CHEYENNE, Wyo. – House Bill 4, nicknamed Medicaid for Moms, passed out of the Senate Labor, Health & Social Services Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The bill now needs to pass first reading by the Senate Committee of the Whole, made up of the entire body, before the end of the day on Monday.
Healthy Wyoming Director Ana Marchese is optimistic that Medicaid for Moms will be heard on the Senate floor before the upcoming deadline.
“As we heard in today’s testimony, Medicaid for Moms has wide support across the state and deserves to be heard,” Marchese said. “Ensuring new Wyoming moms have access to healthcare and mental health services is important for not only helping moms but also ensuring that their babies stay healthy.”
House Bill 4 would extend postpartum insurance coverage offered through Wyoming Medicaid to mothers to 12 months, allowing for the health and recovery of moms so they can take care of their babies and go back to work. This Medicaid postpartum support for uninsured moms has existed for decades in Wyoming, but this critical care currently ends after 60 days.
Committee Chair, Sen. Fred Baldwin (R – Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Uinta counties) expressed his support for House Bill 4 because the bill helps take care of the family unit.
“We are not just taking care of the mom in the postpartum term,” Baldwin said during the hearing. “We are taking care of the baby down the road. I think that is important.”
Senate President Dan Dockstader (R – Lincoln and Teton counties) voted in favor of advancing the bill out of committee. He pointed out that Wyoming has a segment of the population, mothers and babies, that could use assistance.
“There is a time and place for everything. There’s a time to be fiscally cold and conservative and say no, we don’t do this, and I can go home and say we saved money. There’s a time to look after the well-being of a mother and newborn child, so I will be aye for it,” Dockstader said before voting in favor of the bill.
The winter storm didn’t prevent many Medicaid for Moms supporters from showing up at the meeting. Senate Labor heard testimony in favor of the bill from the Governor’s Office, Wyoming Psychological Association, Wyoming Hospital Association, Wyoming Women’s Foundation, Wyoming Nurses Association and the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers.
Jen Davis, the health and human services policy adviser for the Governor’s Office, testified in favor of the bill.
“Governor Gordon as a pro-life governor believes that this is an avenue to ensure that we take care of women and infants,” Davis said during her testimony.
Extending postpartum Medicaid will allow these women not only physical care but also mental healthcare to help with any ailments they might be suffering from, Davis said. “That will make them a better mom, make them a better parent and ultimately make the infant safer.”
House Bill 4 supports many new moms in Wyoming.
- 1/3 of births in Wyoming are to moms on Medicaid. These women would currently have 60 days of healthcare coverage, but HB-4 would extend that timeline to a full year.
- Moms who give birth on Medicaid are more likely to have chronic health conditions, give birth to low birth weight babies, and/or have had a preterm birth in the past.
- 1/3 of moms are unmarried when they give birth and don’t have access to a partner’s health insurance plan.
- Currently, Pregnant Women Medicaid covers those who earn less than 154% of the federal poverty level for 60 days after birth. According to the Wyoming Women’s Foundation Self-Sufficiency Calculator, women earning less than 154% of the federal poverty level — $28,197 for a mom and baby — do not earn enough to meet their basic needs. In Natrona County, $40,044 is the estimated cost for a mom and her infant to cover just their basic needs.
- For women who already have to choose between regular meals and stable housing, buying health insurance and seeking medical care becomes a luxury they can’t afford. Without regular medical care, their resulting poor health inhibits their ability to work, contribute to the economy, and provide for their children.
- Most low-income moms work in industries that don’t provide health insurance—like retail, daycare, or food service—or they work part-time and don’t qualify for benefits.
- Additionally, the passage of House Bill 4 would also reduce uncompensated care costs in community hospitals. According to the Wyoming Hospital Association, Wyoming hospitals annually absorb more than $120 million in uncompensated care costs.
MEDIA CONTACT
Ana Marchese, Healthy Wyoming Director
Email: ana@healthywyoming.org
Phone: (307) 205-9418
