DE SCR66

Request the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance to study extending Medicaid coverage through the first year postpartum period to reduce maternal mortality.

Approximately one-third of Delaware women covered by Medicaid during pregnancy lost coverage within 12 months after giving birth.

One in 3 pregnancy-related deaths occur between 1 week and 1 year after delivery, with Black women experiencing pregnancy-related death rates 3 to 4 times higher than white women.

Division must provide a report to legislative leadership, the Governor, and the Delaware Public Archives by April 1, 2020.

Identified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association as a key strategy to reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality.