Report says Medicaid expansion in Alabama would improve maternal health

A report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF) states that Medicaid expansion in Alabama would improve maternal health. 

According to a press release from Alabama Arise citing the report, 15.9% of women in the reproductive ages of 18 to 44 are without health insurance, making this higher than the national average, which is at 11.7%. 

The number of women who are Hispanic and Native American without insurance are higher at 41.5% and 46.7% respectively. 

In 2022 the Alabama legislature expanded the Medicaid postpartum coverage period, ensuring coverage for a year after childbirth. This was a change from the prior policy of 60 days afterward.

But there is still more to go, said Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director Debbie Smith.

“State leaders showed they’re willing to address Alabama’s maternal health crisis when they extended Medicaid postpartum coverage last year,” she said. “However, these findings show that this step alone is not enough to help mothers and families stay healthy."

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"Alabama should take the next logical step to protect women’s health and expand Medicaid coverage for adults with low incomes. We urge Gov. Kay Ivey and legislators to make Alabama a better place for parents and babies by expanding Medicaid.”

The report by Georgetown University says that further Medicaid expansion would potentially save lives. It said that there were 36.2 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2020, which is "significantly" higher than the national average of 20.4 per 100,000.

The report states that the state's infant mortality rate was 7.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, also higher than the national average of 5.4 per 1,000.

There were also racial disparities found when Black babies died at 11.1 per 1,000 live births. 

“Research shows that stable health coverage for women before, during and after pregnancy can save moms and babies’ lives,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “Medicaid expansion is an essential investment in the health of Alabamians and builds a solid foundation for the state’s future.”

See the report here.