The Mississippi House passed a bill that would establish a 60-day medical care window for pregnant women seeking to get on the state’s Medicaid program.
In a nearly unanimous vote Wednesday afternoon, the lawmakers approved House Committee Substitute Bill 539, which allows pregnant women to receive Medicaid benefits by being presumed pregnant if they can prove their family net income falls below 194% of the federal poverty rate by a Mississippi Division of Medicaid approved provider.
Bill Author Rep. Missy McGee, R, who serves Forrest and Lamar counties, told legislators in the House that the state would bear an average cost of about $557,000 per year, and that pregnant women can receive up to 60 days of Medicaid coverage by going to a County Health Department clinic to provide proof of pregnancy and income.
“The benefits are great, and the risks are very small,” McGee said. “In a state that you have the highest fetal mortality, infant mortality and maternal mortality rates, these will go a long way.”