Medicaid twelve month postpartum coverage.

Plain English Breakdown

The specific rules that the Department of Health needs to create are not detailed in the bill.

Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension

This law temporarily extends Medicaid coverage for qualifying pregnant women to twelve months after giving birth and exempts them from paternity determinations during that time.

What This Bill Does

• Extends Medicaid coverage for qualifying pregnant women up to one year after they give birth.
• Exempts women who have been pregnant within the last year from needing to cooperate with paternity tests to receive Medicaid benefits.
• Allocates $1.9 million in state funds and $1.9 million in federal funds to support this program for a year starting July 1, 2023.
• Requires the Department of Health to apply for necessary changes to the Medicaid plan.
• Necessitates rulemaking by the Department of Health to implement these changes.

Who It Names or Affects

• Qualifying pregnant women and new mothers in Wyoming.
• The Department of Health, which will manage the program and create rules.

Terms To Know

Medicaid

A government health insurance program that helps certain people who have low income or limited resources pay for medical care.

Paternity determination

The process of legally establishing the father of a child, often required to receive certain benefits like Medicaid.

Limits and Unknowns

• This extension is temporary and will end on March 31, 2027.
• It's unclear how many women will qualify for this extended coverage.
• The specific rules that the Department of Health needs to create are not detailed in the bill.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 23LSO-0056
Bill No.:

HB0004

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

23LSO-0056

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0084

Chapter No.:

152

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Medicaid twelve month postpartum coverage.

Subject:

Authorizes Medicaid coverage for women twelve months postpartum.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act temporarily extends Medicaid coverage for qualifying pregnant women for twelve (12) months postpartum. The authorization for extended postpartum coverage ends on March 31, 2027.

This act also exempts women who have been pregnant within the preceding twelve (12) months from being required to cooperate with paternity determinations in order to receive Medicaid.

This act has an appropriation of one million nine hundred thousand dollars ($1,900,000.00) from the general fund and one million nine hundred thousand dollars ($1,900,000.00) from federal funds for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

23LSO-0056

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0004

ENROLLED ACT NO. 84,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session

AN ACT relating to medical assistance and services; temporarily extending Medicaid medical assistance to qualifying pregnant women for twelve (12) months postpartum; making a conforming amendment; providing an appropriation; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
122(b) by creating a new paragraph (iii) is amended to read:

42
‑
4
‑
122.

Cooperation with paternity determination.

(b)

The following persons are not required to cooperate with the department pursuant to subsection (a) of this section:

(iii)

A woman who has been pregnant within the preceding twelve (12) months. This paragraph is repealed effective March 31, 2027.

Section 2.

Pursuant to the authority granted by Sections 9812 and 9822 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117
‑
2), the department of health shall apply for state plan amendments to provide extended postpartum coverage to pregnant individuals enrolled in Medicaid pursuant to the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Act or enrolled in the Child Health Insurance Plan. Authorization for extended postpartum coverage under this section shall end on March 31, 2027.

Section 3.

There is appropriated one million nine hundred thousand dollars ($1,900,000.00) from the general fund and one million nine hundred thousand dollars ($1,900,000.00) from federal funds to the department of health for purposes of providing temporary medical assistance to pregnant women in accordance with this act for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation on June 30, 2024 shall revert as provided by law. The department of health shall include funding for this program in their next biennial budget request.

Section 4.

The department of health shall promulgate any rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 5.

(a)

Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023.

(b)

Sections 4 and 5 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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