Medicaid extensions for new moms grow, may run into limits

States around the country are making it easier for newborn moms to keep Medicaid in the year after childbirth, a crucial time when depression and other health problems can develop. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

States around the country are making it easier for new moms to keep Medicaid in the year after childbirth, a time when depression and other health problems can develop.

But tight government budgets and the program’s low reimbursement may ultimately limit this push or make it hard for women with extended coverage to find doctors.

“A lot of things have changed since the pandemic,” said Venessa Aiken, a new mom in Orlando, Florida. “A lot of places no longer take Medicaid or if they do, you have to wait like two months before you can be seen.”