We have the votes.
So why are moms still waiting?
74 of 99 legislators in the Wisconsin State Assembly are in favor expanding Medicaid eligibility for new moms up to a year postpartum. Their leader, Speaker Robin Vos, still refuses to call it to the floor for a vote.
But not just an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of the Wisconsin legislature. Democrats. Republicans. Moms. Doctors. Pro-Life groups. Literally anyone who’s ever seen what it’s like to recover from childbirth. This is such a popular policy that 48/50 states have already adopted it.
Quick refresher:
→ What is postpartum Medicaid expansion?
It extends health care coverage for new moms from 60 days to 12 months after birth. It covers things like mental health care and follow-up care for birth complications, many of which happen after 6 months.
→ Why does it matter?
Because 60 days of care after childbirth is nowhere near enough. The majority of maternal deaths in the U.S. happen after that window. This is basic. It’s life-saving. It’s the bare minimum. And with all of the cuts happening at the federal level, this is an easy way our state leaders can step up to protect Wisconsinites.
→ Why hasn’t it passed?
Oh I don’t know, because instead of going to therapy, Robin Vos is playing political games with women’s lives? Moms are being used as pawns in a game that has nothing to do with policy and everything to do with control.
So here’s what we do:
📞 Call your legislator. Especially if they’re Republican. Ask if they’re signed on as a co-sponsor. If they are—ask them to speak up publicly and to push Vos to move this. Remind them that it’s great if they’re signed on, but they also just voted to elected him as their Speaker again, so his inaction is still on them. Vos won’t budge without pressure from his own caucus.
📣 Tell your story. If you’ve experienced the postpartum care cliff—or know someone who has—we need to make this personal. Legislators respond to real stories.
💰 Advocate for it in the budget. If this won’t pass as a standalone bill, Gov. Evers has also included it in the state budget proposal. You can submit public comment in support of it here. (By the way, the fiscal estimate for this (~$18M) is tiny in comparison to many other things that will be funded.
Here’s the bottom line: If the people’s will dies at one man’s desk, we’re doing democracy wrong.
The good news? There are more of us than there are of him.
—
Kate
Motherhood for Good
More reading on this:
“There is far more that unites us than divides us, and a mother’s need for affordable, accessible, quality healthcare in the year after a baby is born is certainly not partisan.”
“Despite our disagreement on abortion, we realized we have a shared mission: supporting Wisconsin’s women and families.”
Bipartisan bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage deserves vote in Assembly, Op-ed in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel