Postpartum Coverage Extended to 12 Months for NC Medicaid Beneficiaries Beginning April 1

Medicaid postpartum health care coverage will be extended from 60 days to 12 months for eligible people in North Carolina beginning April 1, 2022. Medicaid will also provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage to eligible people who are currently pregnant or gave birth between Feb. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 gave states the option to increase postpartum coverage to 12 months. The extension was included in the state budget which was approved in November 2021. The option for the 12-month extension of postpartum coverage is available to states for five years, through March 2027. 

Beneficiaries will now be eligible to receive 12 months of ongoing postpartum health care coverage beginning on the date their pregnancy ends through the last day of the month 12-months after the last date of the pregnancy. Beneficiaries will remain eligible for ongoing postpartum health care coverage even if certain changes occur that may affect eligibility — such as a change in income or household/family unit.

Most pregnant and postpartum beneficiaries will have access to full Medicaid benefits. This may include services like doctor’s visits, prescription drugs, dental, vision and hearing, as well as behavioral health care and substance use services. 

Please see the press release for more information as well as NC Medicaid’s Postpartum Coverage Extension webpage.