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Lawmakers expand Medicaid coverage as pregnancy-related deaths and mental health disorders rise

In Arizona, about 70 women die every year within 365 days of giving birth. That’s according to a 2020 report by the state Department of Health Services, which estimates 84% of these deaths are preventable.

And for women of color, the situation is worse. The report shows Black and Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die than white women.

But the state Legislature has taken steps that could help the situation for some women living in poverty. A bill that received final approval in the June 23 budget bills extends Medicaid coverage from 60 days after giving birth for those people to one year. It also begins government health insurance coverage for care provided by a midwife.

Michelle Davis is a midwife with Premier Ob/Gyn in the Valley, and is also an assistant professor of practice for the University of Arizona. She said as a midwife now, she’s limited in what she can bill to Medicaid, which in Arizona is distributed by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS. And she said a change like this would impact most of her patients.

On top of that, Davis said that as a midwife, not being covered like other providers is counterproductive. And when it comes to women of color who are most at risk for serious complications, she thinks a change like this could help put trust back into the system.

Advocates who pushed for the change say it will not only help people facing physical complications post-pregnancy, but mental health challenges as well.

Mental health disorders are the most common complication related to pregnancy. And Michelle Lacy works to treat those parents. Lacy is the executive director of Women’s Health Innovations of Arizona, an outpatient treatment center that specializes in maternal mental health.

The Show spoke with her before the budget passed to learn about her work and how she thinks a Medicaid expansion like this could make a difference.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.