WASHINGTON — Beneficiary advocates are closely watching to see how CMS reacts as some states seek to limit the scope of Medicaid pregnancy coverage to services directly related to pregnancy, according to one women’s health advocate. Other advocates say CMS’ actions so far limiting what services Medicaid programs can deny have eased concerns over “pregnancy only coverage,” though defining exactly what is covered under “pregnancy-only” coverage remains an open question.
Seven states — Alabama, California, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico and North Carolina — have limited coverage for women qualifying for Medicaid through the pregnancy pathway to coverage of services directly related to the pregnancy. Dipti Singh, staff attorney with the National Health Law Program, said it’s tricky to isolate pregnancy-only coverage, and another women’s health advocate said each state defines what it will cover differently. Read the full article here »
