2026 | Why Extended Postpartum Medicaid Coverage During Pandemic Led to Gains in Enrollment

The federal policy requiring states to keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic extended postpartum Medicaid coverage nationwide and sharply increased the number of individuals remaining insured after childbirth, according to a Rutgers Health researcher.

An analysis, published in The Milbank Quarterly, of Medicaid claims in 15 states finds that this coverage expansion produced modest changes in health care use, with notable increases in emergency department visits and mental and behavioral health diagnoses.