Senate backs measures from Sen. Carney to help protect health of mothers and infants
AUGUSTA — On Monday, the Maine Senate voted to enact a bill from Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, to help protect the health and well being of young children and mothers in Maine. LD 1357, “An Act To Require Private Insurance Coverage for Postpartum Care,” received unanimous, bipartisan support. Additionally, the policy proposed in LD 372, “An Act To Provide Maine Children Access to Affordable Health Care,” was funded in the supplemental budget, which received a bipartisan vote of 32-2 in the Senate and 119-16 in the House.
“Giving children and new parents a healthy start is absolutely vital. Part of ensuring they have access to the health care they need is ensuring their health coverage is affordable and comprehensive. These two bills, taken together, will do incredible work to help Maine’s families get the care they need and stay healthy,” said Sen. Carney. “I’m so pleased by the strong support these measures have received in the Legislature, and I’m excited to see them signed into law.”
LD 372 would make several changes to the Cub Care program, also known as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Those changes include raising the maximum eligibility level for family income from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 300 percent of the federal poverty level; eliminating the three-month waiting period for enrollment after the loss of employer-based coverage; expanding coverage through ages 19 and 20; and eliminating premium payments.
LD 1357 would ensure that maternity benefits provided by health insurers include coverage for 12 months of postpartum care that meets the recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This would apply to both individual and group contracts issued by insurers and health maintenance organizations.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a Committee Opinion in May 2018 and affirmed in 2021, titled “Optimizing Postpartum Care.” The opinion adopts a new framework for postpartum care as an ongoing process, rather than a single encounter at six weeks post-birth, with services and support tailored to the patient’s individual needs. This new framework is often referred to as “fourth trimester” care.
“Underscoring the importance of requiring private insurance coverage to meet ACOG’s recommendations, are data showing the U.S. has a high maternal mortality rate, compared with other developed nations, with one third of pregnancy-related deaths occurring between one week and one year following childbirth. In fact, U.S. women are more likely to die from causes related to birth or pregnancy than women in any other developed nation,” said Rebecca Boulos, executive director of Maine Public Health Association, in testimony supporting the bill. “This bill will enable new mothers in Maine to receive the optimal care they need post-delivery, both ensuring better health outcomes for the new mother and for their new infant.”
LD 1357 now goes to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to either sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature. The supplemental budget, which funded LD 372, was signed into law by Gov. Mills on Wednesday, April 20.
