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Nebraska will give new moms who cannot afford private health insurance a full year of Medicaid coverage under an order issued this week by Gov. Jim Pillen.
Mr. Pillen, a Republican, signed the law enabling the expansion in June, touting it as a show of the state’s commitment to the health and well-being of women and children during a critical period in their lives.
“This decision ensures that nearly 5,000 mothers across our state will maintain access to a comprehensive range of behavioral and physical health services,” Mr. Pillen said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our children are the future of this state, and we are dedicated to providing the strongest possible support system to help them thrive.”
A lack of medical care due to financial reasons has been cited as the biggest factor contributing to pregnancy-related deaths, the governor’s office said, noting that this highlights the need for Medicaid.
Around 35 percent of births in the state are covered by Nebraska Medicaid.
The governor’s office said the program’s expansion aims to help mothers who may face barriers when seeking health care services after childbirth, and hopefully reduce pregnancy-related death.
Kevin Bagley, the director of the Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care, said Nebraska’s decision to expand the program is a “pivotal moment.”
Part of GOP’s ‘Pro-Life’ Agenda
The move makes Nebraska the latest Republican-led state to change its stance and expand Medicaid postpartum coverage as part of a “pro-life” agenda. Around half a dozen red states have expanded Medicaid coverage in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court returning power to determine abortion laws to the states.
Mississippi, another Republican stronghold state, has also expanded the coverage for low-income mothers in the state. In March, Gov. Tate Reeves declared Mississipe’s policy change was part of the state’s “new pro-life agenda.”
“We must do everything in our power to lower barriers for expectant moms to bring new babies into the world and to choose life,” said Mr. Reeves, who framed his state’s leadership in the Roe legal battle as “building a culture of life throughout our state and our nation.”
Since Roe, Nebraska has made abortions illegal after 12 weeks, having previously been set at 20 weeks since 2010. The governor is eyeing a 6-week ban, often referred to as a “heartbeat ban,” next year. Earlier this year, the state’s unicameral legislature, which has a Republican majority, failed to pass a 6-week ban by one vote.
The additional restrictions enacted in May allow exceptions for cases involving rape, incest, or medical emergencies. This legislation also imposed limitations on “gender-altering procedures” for minors.
The Nebraska Supreme Court earlier this month rejected a request to halt the ban, allowing it to remain enforcible for now.
“All children deserve a chance to grow and live happy, fruitful lives. This includes pre-born boys and girls, and it includes children struggling with gender identity,” Mr. Pillen said in May.
Recently, a Nebraska mother from Norfolk was sentenced to 2 years in prison after she conspired with her 17-year-old daughter to abort the daughter’s unborn baby using pills at 29 weeks, well into her third trimester. She then burned and buried the baby’s remains.
The Food and Drug Administration has only approved abortion pills for use within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Following Roe, lawmakers from both Republican and Democrat parties have taken action to modify abortion laws, either by imposing or loosening restrictions.
Republican-led legislatures, like Florida’s, have implemented nearly complete bans on abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy. On the other hand, Democrat-led legislatures, such as California’s, have allowed abortions to take place up until birth without mandating care for babies who survive failed procedures.
