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 […]
How Will the American Rescue Plan Strengthen the Prenatal-to-3 System of Care? A Summary of the 2021 Act’s Benefits for Infants and Toddlers
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 invests unprecedented amounts of funding in the prenatal-to-3 period. As a result of this investment, states will have more support and choices to effectively build a comprehensive and equitable prenatal-to-3 system of care. The new law includes a number of provisions critical to supporting individuals and families […]
American Rescue Plan Act: Health Coverage Provisions Explained
On March 11, 2021, President Biden will sign into law the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319). The wide-ranging, critically needed COVID-19 relief legislation includes a number of key provisions that strengthen both public and private health insurance coverage.
Advancing Postpartum Coverage in Medicaid: Waiver or SPA?
The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act has many new opportunities and important provisions that we are still absorbing and unpacking. One key change, as readers of SayAhh! know, is the new state option to provide 12 months of postpartum Medicaid and CHIP coverage to women after the end of their pregnancy, well beyond the […]
Pennsylvania should extend Medicaid postpartum coverage [commentary]
The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates of any developed country in the world. While this data point is surprising to many, there is now an opportunity for both the nation and Pennsylvania to improve, should our state’s Department of Human Services opt to do so.
Wolf administration promotes free testing for lead in drinking water for schools and child care programs
All schools and child care programs in Pennsylvania have been advised of the Voluntary Lead in Child Care and School Drinking Water Testing Program, which will provide $1.74 million from a federal grant for testing lead in drinking water.
Kaiser Family Foundation and Georgetown CCF Release 50-State Survey on Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment
The 2021 Annual 50-State Survey on Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and CCF is now available. As in previous years, the report confirms eligibility levels for children, pregnant women, parents and expansion adults.
Small Piece of the Stimulus Has Ambitious Aim of Saving Mothers’ Lives
It’s easy to overlook amid the hundreds of pages of the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan President Biden signed into law Thursday, but a short section aims to combat America’s maternal mortality crisis by expanding health coverage for new mothers.
