- The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, and seven states have instituted abortion bans while keeping postpartum Medicaid coverage limited to 60 days.
- These states are Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
- States with restrictive abortion bans and laws generally have poorer health outcomes and weaker social safety net programs.
- Studies suggest that 52 percent of pregnancy-related deaths can occur up to a year after birth.
Many U.S. states have for the past year been seeking to extend the healthcare coverage new mothers receive under Medicaid to 12 months after the birth of their child, to protect them during a difficult and vulnerable period.
However, there are seven states—Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin—that have instituted abortion bans while keeping postpartum Medicaid coverage limited to 60 days.
“There is strong evidence that states with restrictive abortion bans and laws have higher maternal mortality rates,” Cat Duffy, a policy analyst at the National Health Law Program (NHLP), told Newsweek.
A 2022 study by the University of Colorado, Boulder, found that a year after a total abortion ban is implemented, the maternal mortality rate is estimated to rise by 24 percent. A similar study by Tulane University in 2021 suggested a 7 percent increase in areas with greater restrictions on abortion access.
As a result of the ban, there would be a greater number of women carrying babies to term, with the risks that go with pregnancy and childbirth—and limited healthcare provision in the months after a child is born makes the period even more dangerous.
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Article URL : https://www.newsweek.com/seven-states-sleepwalking-maternal-mortality-crisis-medicaid-abortion-1788685