The Alabama Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow presumptive eligibility for pregnant women for Medicaid.
Lawmakers are hopeful expanding healthcare access will bring down Alabama’s climbing infant and maternal mortality rates.
SB102, brought forth by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, was amended with a line to repeal the bill in 2028.
Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, who brought forth a House version of the same bill, said after it “sunsets” in three years, the state will go over data to evaluate how it impacts outcomes for mothers and other factors before deciding on how to move forward.
In an op-ed recently published to AL.com, Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, joined Lands in support of the bill.
“For those who become eligible for Medicaid due to a new pregnancy, the system for obtaining insurance is complicated,” the piece reads.
“Delaying pregnant women’s initial appointment can have devastating effects on both mother and child.”
If passed, both bills would extend existing benefits under the state Medicaid plan for up to 60 days to women who have not been formally approved for Medicaid coverage but who submit proof of pregnancy and household income information to a qualified provider.
This would allow them to make an appointment with a provider, receive pregnancy verification, and begin prenatal care while the Medicaid approval process is ongoing.
Lands said previously that she believes the bill will significantly improve maternal and infant outcomes and will “save a substantial amount of state dollars through reduced neo-intensive care unit stays and fewer adverse health issues in both moms and babies.”
Coleman-Madison’s bill now moves over to the House for potential passage.
And Lands’ bill is currently pending action in the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund.