Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today joined leadership from the legislative Women’s Health Caucus, the Maternity Care Coalition, and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network to announce Pennsylvania’s intent to extend the postpartum coverage period for mothers eligible for Medicaid because of their pregnancy. This historic investment in the health and well-being of new mothers and […]
Women’s Health Caucus applauds DHS’s commitment to maternal health
HARRISBURG, Aug. 5 – Today, the Women’s Health Caucus offered its support to the Wolf administration and Human Services Department Secretary Meg Snead on their decision to extend medical assistance coverage to 12 months postpartum. Under the American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, states have the option to extend Medicaid coverage […]
Wolf Administration announces expanding Medicaid coverage plan for postpartum mothers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Wolf Administration announced its intent to extend postpartum coverage periods for mothers eligible for Medicaid because of pregnancy to one year. Joined by the Women’s Health Caucus, the Maternity Care Coalition and Pa. Health Access Network, they said the investment will help with the health and well-being of new mothers […]
2021-22 State Budget: Growth for Pre-k; Ignores Recommendations Prioritizing Child Care and Fails to Expand Evidence-based Home Visiting Services
HARRISBURG, PA (June 25, 2021) – The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, believes the commonwealth’s economic recovery hinges on helping working families by prioritizing greater state investments in high-quality pre-k, child care and evidence-based home visiting. ELPA operates […]
Lead Free Promise Project to launch campaign to combating lead poisoning in Pa.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Lead Free Promise Project is launching its campaign Thursday to end lead poisoning in PA. The project’s mission is to increase funding to help homeowners and landlords with low incomes remove lead-based hazards.
‘It is unacceptable and it’s preventable’: Officials say high levels of childhood lead poisoning is significant problem in Lehigh Valley
At least 350 children in Lehigh and Northampton counties experience lead poisoning every year, a new report by the anti-crime organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids shows. Though lead poisoning is preventable, it’s all too common in the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania, the report states.
Many pregnant workers left out of COVID-19 aid
Teneema Tibbs lost her job at a Darby day-care center in February 2020, the month before the coronavirus pandemic hit. She was five months pregnant and about to become a single mom. She looked at her protruding belly and thought, “No one will hire me now.” Tibbs searched for a new job, but the pandemic […]
Doula Care Saves Lives, Improves Equity, And Empowers Mothers. State Medicaid Programs Should Pay For It
The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries. Generations of structural racism have contributed to maternal mortality rates of US Black mothers being three to four times higher than that of White mothers. US Black mothers are also 2.1 times more likely than White mothers to experience severe maternal morbidity or adverse pregnancy outcomes that […]
Cost Estimate Tool: Calculating the State Cost of Extending Postpartum Medicaid
In March 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, giving states the option to extend pregnancy-related Medicaid eligibility to one year after delivery. Specifically, states will have the option to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage through a State Plan Amendment (SPA) starting in spring 2022. PolicyLab supports federal efforts to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage […]
Report: Lead detected in 80% of Allegheny County, Pa., water systems
PITTSBURGH—Lead was detected in 80 percent of water systems in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which encompasses Pittsburgh, in 2019, according to a new two-year analysis. While the federal limit for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion (ppb), experts—including those at the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and […]
