SPLC Action Fund Statement on Postpartum Extension

JACKSON, Miss. — The SPLC Action Fund applauds the passage of Senate Bill 2212, which was signed into law today. Under this change, postpartum care for mothers is extended from 60 days to 12 months, allowing access to critical healthcare and support services. 

The following statement is from Sonya Williams Barnes, Mississippi Policy Director for the SPLC Action Fund:

 
“The SPLC Action Fund is pleased to see S.B. 2212 fully enacted. Mississippi has had the unfortunate distinction of being the one state that consistently ranked below the national average when it comes to health outcomes. Extending Medicaid benefits for a full year is a step in the right direction for critical reproductive health care, which has long been difficult to access for people in Mississippi — especially people of color, those who live in poverty and those who live in rural areas of the state.

“Physicians and healthcare professionals have urged our state government to extend post-partum benefits as a way to ensure that necessary postnatal care is given to both mother and child. Data published in 2023, from the Mississippi State Department of Health shows that between 2017 and 2019, 57.5% of maternal deaths in the state occurred during pregnancy or within the first 60 days after delivery.  

“It is a matter of life and death. We are pleased that the state is no longer wavering on the issue of extending postpartum Medicaid coverage and, instead, are choosing to put the needs of the people first with laws aimed at improving the overall health outcomes for all Mississippians. We  encourage leaders in the state to fully extend Medicaid and ensure adequate healthcare coverage is afforded to all people in the state.”