Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill Thursday increasing access to Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers in Alabama.
SB 102, sponsored by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, would provide “presumptive eligibility” for pregnant women by allowing health care providers to determine eligibility for Medicaid based on preliminary information.
The process is aimed at expediting access to prenatal care by allowing eligible women to receive Medicaid coverage and necessary medical services within the first trimester.
A spokesperson for the governor confirmed the bill was signed Thursday but did not provide further comment.
The legislation explicitly states that a pregnant woman can only receive one 60-day presumptive eligibility period per pregnancy. The Medicaid Agency is prohibited from retroactively denying coverage during the presumptive eligibility period due to the woman’s failure to submit a formal application or a negative decision on her application.
The provider must notify the Medicaid agency within five working days of determining a woman’s presumptive eligibility. They are also required to inform the woman that she must apply to the agency for Medicaid by the end of the following month.
This legislation is set to be repealed in October 2028.
Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, said in a statement that the new law has the potential to “save lives and money.”
“For too long, Alabama mothers have faced needless barriers to early prenatal care – care that can mean the difference between hope and heartbreak. SB 102 will lift some of those red-tape barriers at last,” Hyden said.
A’Niya Robinson, ACLU of Alabama’s Director of Policy and Organizing, said that ACLU is “pleased with the passage of the Alabama Maternal Healthcare Act” but acknowledged that the legislation will not entirely resolve the state’s maternal and infant mortality challenges.
“While this law will not end the maternal and infant mortality crisis in Alabama, we believe that it does have the potential to save lives and lessen the burden for pregnant people to access prenatal care early in pregnancy. As part of our reproductive justice work, we will continue working on policies to make Alabama safer for those experiencing pregnancy,” Robinson said in a statement.
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