CMS NEWS – Maternal health care advocates worry Medicaid cuts could impact postpartum coverage

Alternative Headline: Medicaid Cuts Threaten Postpartum Care

[MM Curator Summary]: Hawaii advocates fear Medicaid cuts of up to $300 million will disrupt postpartum care for vulnerable mothers and infants.

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Maternal health care advocates worry Medicaid cuts could impact postpartum coverage

Medicaid is the largest single payer of pregnancy-related services, and health advocates worry future cuts could be devastating for new moms and their babies.

By Annalisa Burgos

Published: Jul. 9, 2025 at 9:36 PM MDT

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Medicaid is the largest single payer of pregnancy-related services, and health advocates worry future cuts could be devastating for new moms and their babies.

Health care experts say the state could lose some $300 million each year in federal Medicaid funding.

Many pregnant women without work-subsidized health insurance or can’t return to work after delivery turn to Medicaid to get life-saving medical care and support.

“We were able to get lactation consultant help, and it was accessible to us. It wasn’t expensive or anything, and that’s due to the help from Medicaid for her, and that’s great because we needed all the support we can get,” said first-time mom Marissa Katz Bellani. “I was definitely teetering on the edge of some kind of depression if I didn’t get help, so I’m really glad that we did get the help we needed.”

Medicaid covers more than 40% of the births in Hawaii, and it’s not just prenatal care and delivery, but also the critical period after the baby arrives.

“We’re talking about mental health. We’re talking about losing coverage postpartum,” said Sunny Chen, CEO of nonprofit Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii. “We work so hard to advocate for postpartum coverage through 12 months postpartum because the data tells us most moms, they are hurting and they’re dying after 45 days postpartum to 12 months postpartum.”

Federal funding helps the coalition offer free services like lactation consultations in a supportive space, as well as mobile patient care, food pantry, diapers, baby wear, and breast milk pump rentals.

“Things like community-based doula program, those are things that are kind of not traditional healthcare funding that covers through special health plan contracts, pilot programs, I think all of those things potentially might be at stake,” Chen said.

Pregnant women are exempt from new work requirements under the Big Beautiful Bill Act, but it’s unclear how paperwork and red tape will impact eligibility and postpartum services.

“That’s a period when women will often experience complications, that need monitoring, you know, they need to be going be have access to their physician, for regular checkups‚" said Paula Arcena, AlohaCare’s vice president of external affairs. “Also, well-baby visits to make sure that those first months of the infant’s life, that they have the care that they need.”

Advocates say they’re concerned, but remain hopeful that the state, community health centers, and private philanthropy can help fill the gaps.

“I think the key thing is to stay calm and stay informed. This is gonna be challenging, but you know, Hawaii always comes through, with these kinds of challenges,” Arcena said.

For more information, visit www.hmhb-hawaii.org or alohacare.org.

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