Medicaid coverage for new moms gaining support in GOP states

WASHINGTON (AP) — After years of refusing to expand Medicaid benefits for new mothers, Republican officials in more than a half-dozen states are reversing course. They’re trumpeting the coverage as central to their conservative, anti-abortion agenda. The shift in GOP support for postpartum Medicaid coverage is occurring in some states that have severely limited or outlawed abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. The effort also comes as federal protections guaranteeing people stay continuously enrolled in Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire soon. Mississippi and Wyoming are among states that recently moved to provide Medicaid coverage for new moms a full year after giving birth.