Nebraska will give new moms who can’t afford private health insurance a full year of Medicaid coverage under an order issued this week by Gov. Jim Pillen.
Mr. Pillen, a Republican, signed the law enabling the expansion in June, touting it as a show of the state’s commitment to the health and well-being of women and children during a critical period in their lives.
“This decision ensures that nearly 5,000 mothers across our state will maintain access to a comprehensive range of behavioral and physical health services,“ the governor said in a statement on Sept. 27. “Our children are the future of this state, and we are dedicated to providing the strongest possible support system to help them thrive.”
A lack of medical care because of financial reasons has been cited as the biggest factor contributing to pregnancy-related deaths, highlighting the need for Medicaid, according to the governor’s office.
About 35 percent of births in the state are covered by Nebraska Medicaid.
The governor’s office stated that the program’s expansion aims to help mothers who may face barriers when seeking health care services after childbirth and hopefully will reduce pregnancy-related deaths.
Nebraska’s decision to expand the program is a “pivotal moment,” according to Kevin Bagley, director of the Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care in the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Part of GOP’s ‘Pro-Life’ Agenda
The move makes Nebraska the latest Republican-led state to change its stance and expand Medicaid postpartum coverage as part of a “pro-life” agenda. About a half-dozen red states have expanded Medicaid coverage in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court returning power to determine abortion laws to the states.Mississippi, another Republican stronghold, has also expanded the coverage for low-income mothers in the state. In March, Gov. Tate Reeves declared that Mississippi’s policy change was part of the state’s “new pro-life agenda.”
“We must do everything in our power to lower barriers for expectant moms to bring new babies into the world and to choose life,” said Mr. Reeves, who framed his state’s leadership in the Roe v. Wade legal battle as “building a culture of life throughout our state and our nation.”
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Nebraska has made abortions illegal after 12 weeks; the cutoff had been set at 20 weeks since 2010. The governor is eyeing a six-week ban—often referred to as a “heartbeat ban”—next year. Earlier this year, the state’s unicameral legislature, which has a Republican majority, failed to pass a six-week ban by one vote.
The additional restrictions enacted in May allow exceptions for cases involving rape, incest, or medical emergencies. This legislation also imposed limitations on “gender-altering procedures” for minors.
“All children deserve a chance to grow and live happy, fruitful lives. This includes pre-born boys and girls, and it includes children struggling with gender identity,” Mr. Pillen said in May.
The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected a request to halt the ban, allowing it to remain enforceable for now.
Recently, a woman from Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced to two years in prison after she conspired with her 17-year-old daughter to abort the daughter’s unborn baby using pills at 29 weeks—well into her third trimester. She then burned and buried the baby’s remains.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved abortion pills for use only within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Following the Dobbs decision, lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have taken action to modify abortion laws, either by imposing or loosening restrictions.
Republican-led legislatures, such as Florida’s, have implemented nearly complete bans on abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy. On the other end, Democrat-led legislatures, such as California’s, have allowed abortions to take place up until birth without mandating care for babies who survive failed procedures.
