TRENTON – The Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee advanced legislation today sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz that would codify Medicaid postpartum care coverage for eligible pregnant women for one year, beginning on the last day of a woman’s pregnancy.

“The medical care and support that mothers and their babies require extends far beyond the delivery room. Many maternal health issues, like postpartum depression, appear six months or more after a baby is born,” said Majority Leader Ruiz (D-Essex/Hudson). “New Jersey has already recognized the profound importance of extending Medicaid coverage to eligible pregnant women during the year following childbirth, which has led to measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes. By enshrining this coverage into law, we will safeguard its availability so that all women will continue to have the support they need postpartum.”

Since FY 2022, the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services has been mandated to provide this coverage via the state’s annual Appropriations Act. The bill, S-3934, would codify Medicaid postpartum care coverage into law, ensuring these vital services are always available to eligible pregnant women.

The expansion addresses and prioritizes the existing disparities in maternal health, as Medicaid covers a disproportionate share of births among marginalized populations. As of January 2025, 48 states have implemented the 12-month Medicaid postpartum care coverage extension.

The bill advanced in an 8-0 vote.