Alabama House expedites Medicaid for pregnant women, joining other states with high mortality rates
MONTOGMERY, Ala. — A bill that would expedite Medicaid coverage and prenatal health care for low-income pregnant women in Alabama has advanced as lawmakers across the South try to address rising maternal and infant mortality rates.
The 'presumptive eligibility' legislation states that Medicaid will pay for a pregnant woman's outpatient medical care for up to 60 days while her application for the government-funded insurance program is being considered.
'This way we cut out some of the red tape, we get them in as quickly as possible,' said Rep. Marilyn Lands, the Democrat representing Huntsville who introduced the bill.
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