Gov. Tate Reeves signs postpartum Medicaid extension, as Mississippi joins other states

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In a move that puts Mississippi in line with the rest of the country, Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law Thursday legislation to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months.

Mississippi had been the last state in the country to neither expand Medicaid under the affordable care act nor extend postpartum coverage. Coverage was extended on the federal level as part of a COVID-19 response law, but that was set to expire next month.

"Today in Mississippi, we have turned our attention to furthering our new pro-life agenda, and delivering the support moms and babies need. As I’ve said before, our new pro-life agenda will not be easy, and it will not be free. And there’s little doubt that we’re going to face some difficult choices along the way. But if there’s one thing we should all agree on, it’s that we must do everything in our power to lower barriers for expectant moms to bring new babies into the world and to choose life," Reeves said in a statement.

The moment comes as a victory for a Mississippi Senate that had repeatedly passed bills to extend coverage in recent years, an effort led by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and endorsed by a number of medical leaders in the state.

The bill reached the House floor for the first time this year, and it passed despite a no-vote from Speaker Philip Gunn. Reeves' endorsement of extension, a change that he credited to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, played a significant role in it passing the House. Gunn and House Medicaid committee chair Joey Hood, R-Ackerman, had said they would not bring it to a vote until the state division of Medicaid endorsed extension and assured them that it was not the same as expansion. Division of Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder sent them such a letter shortly after Reeves' pledge to sign the bill.

Gov. Tate Reeves signs a bill into law in Jackson on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Gov. Tate Reeves signs a bill into law in Jackson on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Reeves addressed his longtime opposition to Medicaid expansion, as allowed under the Affordable Care Act, in his statement Thursday.

"I’ve been against Medicaid expansion since it was first proposed by Barack Obama. I still am. And, as what many would call the leading advocate (along with Speaker Gunn) fighting against Obamacare expansion, I have plenty of scars to show for it," Reeves said. "In 2019, the media and politicians loved to attack me for saying we don’t need to put hundreds of thousands more Mississippians on Medicaid. They’ll do it again this election year. That’s usually proof that you’re on the right track. They’ll still find a way to attack me for this, because they hate conservatives."

Medicaid policy is likely to play a significant role in the upcoming elections. Reeves' Democratic opponent, Brandon Presley, had long supported extension, and has made the promise to fully expand eligibility to 133% of the poverty level a key part of his campaign.

In the race for lieutenant governor, Hosemann faces a primary challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville. McDaniel voted against the extension bill on the Senate floor.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS governor signs law to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms