Res. No. 96
Resolution calling on the State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.1411B/A.307B, which would expand Medicaid benefits to one year postpartum.
By Council Members Rivera, Hanif, Riley, Stevens, Won, Restler, Brannan, Avilés, Nurse, Yeger and Sanchez
Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a pregnancy-related death is defined as the death of a person while pregnant or within one year of the end of a pregnancy (regardless of the outcome or duration of the pregnancy) from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes; and
Whereas, Data from the CDC find that about one-third of all pregnancy-related deaths occur one week to one year after a pregnancy ends; and
Whereas, In a report released in 2019, New York State was ranked 30th in the nation for its maternal mortality rate; and
Whereas, New York State had a maternal mortality rate for Black women of 52 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 16 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women during 2014-2016; and
Whereas, According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the postpartum period represents a time of increased vulnerabilities; and
Whereas, In addition to monitoring a person’s physical wellbeing postpartum, it is important to maintain access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services during this time; and
Whereas, Those with opioid use disorder relapse far more often in the postpartum period compared with during pregnancy and should have access to and continued use of treatment services; and
Whereas, New York State offers Medicaid to pregnant New York residents who meet income requirements, regardless of immigration status; and
Whereas, In the Medicaid for pregnancy program, babies receive health care services for at least one year after birth, but the pregnant individual only receives care for 60 days after the end of pregnancy; and
Whereas, S.1411B/A.307B, sponsored by Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, would extend the coverage period for medical assistance to a period of one year beginning on the last day of pregnancy; and
Whereas, In New York State, over 50 percent of births were covered by Medicaid in 2018; and
Whereas, In 2019, about 56 percent of births in New York City were covered by Medicaid; and
Whereas, That year, approximately 77 percent of Hispanic (not of Puerto Rican ancestry), 67.5 percent of Puerto Rican, 66 of Black, and 55 percent Asian/Pacific Islander live births were covered by Medicaid, compared to 37 percent white live births; and
Whereas, According to a 2020 study comparing states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to nonexpansion states, Medicaid expansion was significantly associated with lower maternal mortality by 7.01 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births relative to nonexpansion states; and
Whereas, Medicaid expansion effects were concentrated among non-Hispanic Black mothers, suggesting that expansion could be contributing to decreasing racial disparities in maternal mortality; and
Whereas, In New York City, Black pregnant people are 8 to 12 times more likely to die due to pregnancy compared to their white counterparts; and
Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Black non-Latina women had the highest severe maternal morbidity rate (three times that of White non-Latina women), with rates also high among Puerto Rican and other Latina women compared to White non-Latina women; and
Whereas, The CDC has found that almost two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; and
Whereas, Extending Medicaid coverage past 60 days postpartum is a commonsense way to save lives and improve parent and child health outcomes and could help reduce stark racial disparities in maternal mortality; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign S.1411B/A.307B, which would expand Medicaid benefits to one year postpartum.
Session 12
EB
LS 5096
03.04.2022
Session 11
CP
LS #15870
Res. 1500-2020