JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Expecting individuals who struggle to afford healthcare may soon receive additional assistance if two bills currently in the legislature are passed. This support aims to combat infant mortality and enhance maternity care for mothers in need.
There are two bills progressing through the legislature that could significantly impact women’s health, particularly during pregnancy. One organization that stands to benefit is Life Tree Women Care.
Jamie Neal, a certified nurse midwife and nurse practitioner at Life Tree Women Care, sees dozens of pregnant individuals each day who rely on Medicaid due to financial constraints. However, she highlights a critical issue regarding the timeframe for eligibility confirmation.
“A 45-day coverage is not enough time. That’s only six weeks, and women are pregnant for 40 weeks,” Neal said.
Senate Bill 968, authored by State Senator Tracie Davis, and House Bill 1003, introduced by Representative Felicia Robinson, both propose extending the grace period for confirming eligibility from 45 days to 180 days during a 10-year pilot program.
Davis explained the rationale behind the bills.
“What I was hearing is that the coverage that was allowed, that 45-day period, wasn’t enough time for our pregnant women to be covered in this temporary Medicaid coverage that we have now that’s called presumptive eligibility,” she said.
According to the CDC, Florida has the tenth highest infant mortality rate in the nation. Ensuring that women receive adequate medical care during pregnancy is one way to help reduce this statistic.
The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, led by CEO Faye Johnson, is dedicated to lowering infant mortality rates. Johnson believes that if the bills pass, they will provide substantial support to local mothers.
When asked how many pregnant women seek assistance, Johnson responded, “Around about 6,000 a year.”
As the bills await committee review, advocates like Jamie Neal remain hopeful for their passage, which would enable them to assist more mothers in need.
“It would give them more time to get the care they are missing out on when they don’t have that coverage,” Neal said.
Both bills are currently in committee and, if passed, would take effect on July 1 of this year.
We want to hear from you: How did Medicaid support you during your pregnancy? Do you think extending the grace period would help more individuals get the care they need? Let us know by completing the form below.
Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women; Creating a pilot program to provide temporary Medicaid coverage to pregnant women who are presumptively eligible for Medicaid; authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration to approve certain entities to serve as qualified presumptive eligibility locations under the pilot program; specifying performance standards qualified entities are required to meet each year to continue participating in the pilot program; requiring the agency to implement certain procedures that allow for the seamless transition from temporary Medicaid coverage under the pilot program to enrollment for full Medicaid benefits, etc.
Senator Tracie Davis authored Senate Bill 968
House Representative Felecia Simone Robinson authored House Bill 1003
Here is a summary of the bill below:
Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility For Pregnant Women: Creates pilot program to provide temporary Medicaid coverage to pregnant women who are presumptively eligible for Medicaid; authorizes AHCA to approve certain entities to serve as qualified presumptive eligibility locations; provides application requirements; requires AHCA to prioritize approval of qualified entities located in underserved areas; specifies duties of qualified entities; requires qualified entities to provide written notice of their determinations to applicants within specified timeframe; provides requirements for notice; specifies performance standards for qualified entities; specifies timeframe of presumptive eligibility period for temporary Medicaid coverage; requires AHCA to implement certain procedures that allow for seamless transition from temporary Medicaid coverage to enrollment for full Medicaid benefits; requires AHCA, in collaboration with DOH, to implement outreach program for specified purposes; requires AHCA to seek federal approval to implement pilot program; requires AHCA to implement pilot program within specified timeframe.
House Representative Felecia Simone Robinson authored the House Bill 1003