The Texas House approved House Bill 12 with a 134-9 vote and a round of applause on May 28. The Senate passed the bill unanimously the same day.
The bill was proposed by Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, during the regular legislative session.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill June 18 and it went into effect immediately. The federal government can now approve or deny Texas’ extension.
Texas is the 43rd state to implement or apply for the 12-month extension, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The bill includes a “legislative purpose” section that may prevent women who receive abortions from qualifying for the extended coverage.
“Out of the state’s profound respect for the lives of mothers and unborn children, Medicaid coverage is extended for mothers whose pregnancies end in the delivery of the child or end in the natural loss of the child,” the section reads.
Texas currently offers 2 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage. Beyond prenatal care, Medicaid covers checkups and other services for mothers and their babies.
Expanding coverage to 12 months is a top recommendation of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, which documented high rates of maternal deaths and severe complications in its biennial report in December.
According to the committee, at least 118 Texas women died while pregnant or within one year after childbirth in 2019. The report notes that 90% of those deaths were preventable.
“This comprehensive coverage will save lives and ensure children grow up with their mothers,” Rose said before a House vote in April.
The House approved a similar proposal, also by Rose, during the 2021 legislative session, but the Senate cut coverage to 6 months. The measure was not approved by the federal government, as it did not meet federal guidelines.
“Instead of losing their health coverage just two months after their pregnancy, Texas moms will be able to keep seeing their doctor and taking their medications during this critical time for their health and their baby’s health,” said Diana Forester, director of health policy for Texans Care for Children, in a news release. “We appreciate all the Texas women who had the courage to tell their personal stories about the pregnancy-related health challenges they have faced and the importance of continued health coverage.”
