Gov. Evers Delivers on Key Promise to Wisconsin Moms by Extending Postpartum Coverage From 60 Days to One Yea

“Almost seven years ago to the day, I first proposed expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year. It was one of the very first things I announced back in 2019 as part of my very first budget, and it’s been in every budget I’ve ever introduced as governor—that’s how long I’ve been fighting to get this done, folks. 

“So, we knew from the get-go that getting this passed was an uphill battle. But we also weren’t going to let partisanship or politics stop us from continuing our work to build support for this important proposal, because we know just how high the stakes are,” continued Gov. Evers. “Research has shown us that expanding postpartum coverage leads to improved maternal and birth outcomes, thanks to more folks being able to access the care they need when they need it—and without breaking the bank. Now more than ever, we should be working to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible, not making it more expensive and harder for folks—including new moms and families—to get the care they need. 

“Expanding postpartum coverage is the right move for Wisconsin families, it’s the right move for our state, and it’s a privilege to be able to sign this bill into law today,” Gov. Evers concluded. “It’s been a long time coming, but I’m darn proud we got it done.”

Gov. Evers believes that every Wisconsinite should have access to quality, affordable healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, and the governor has been a champion for addressing and improving maternal and infant health outcomes in Wisconsin. As part of his “Healthy Meals, Healthy Babies” initiative, Gov. Evers has proposed expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months for the entirety of his tenure as governor, including in each of his Executive Budget proposals he has introduced across all seven years of his tenure as governor in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025. Following the bill signing, the governor will be traveling across the state, hosting community conversations with local moms, families, and leaders to discuss how the state can continue to address maternal health disparities and ensure that new moms and families have the resources they need to be well.

“Supporting new moms and their babies in the first year of life is critical for the long-term physical and mental health for both, and we are grateful to Gov. Evers for his many years advocating for policies to improve infant and maternal health and signing SB 23, which authorizes extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, subject to federal approval,” said Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary Kirsten Johnson. “Research shows extending this coverage improves health outcomes by strengthening a new mother’s physical and emotional health and reduces the need for extensive and expensive long-term treatment. Providing health care when families need it the most also improves a family’s economic stability, which is good for them and the state. We wish to thank Gov. Evers and lawmakers for helping DHS fulfill our mission of protecting and promoting the health of Wisconsinites.”

From pregnancy to childbirth to postpartum and beyond, ensuring the health and wellness of all mothers and babies in Wisconsin has been a top priority for Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration. Despite advances in medical science and technology, pregnancy-related complications and deaths continue to occur at high levels in Wisconsin. According to DHS’s Division of Public Health, Wisconsin’s severe maternal morbidity rate, which are described as serious birth complications, or “near-misses,” has steadily increased in recent years, and that the rate of severe maternal morbidity for people on Medicaid or BadgerCare is higher than for those with private insurance.

According to DHS, nearly half of pregnancy-related deaths occur in the postpartum period, and the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team found that nearly all (95 percent) of these deaths were preventable. Unfortunately, in Wisconsin, this issue disproportionately affects families of color, especially Black families, as Black mothers are approximately 2.5 times more likely than their white, non-Hispanic peers to die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Despite these appalling realities and the concept of expanding postpartum coverage having overwhelming support of 66 percent of Wisconsinites and a bipartisan supermajority in the Wisconsin State Legislature, Wisconsin has for years been one of just two states in the nation that had not expanded postpartum coverage under Medicaid to 12 months—until today.  

Expanded postpartum coverage will be available for Wisconsin families starting July 1, 2026, following a standard period of review and approval of Wisconsin’s state plan amendment by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Senate Bill 23, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 102: