Medicaid coverage for postpartum women has been extended from 60 days to 12 months after the end of a pregnancy, the Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance announced Friday.

The expansion is made possible through a state plan amendment approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in May. It is retroactively effective as of July 2022.

Delaware is one of 35 states to extend the coverage to 12 months. It will begin on the date a pregnancy ends, regardless of the reason. Patients will remain eligible even if there are alterations in eligibility, such as a change in income.

In 2020, Medicaid covered 41% of births in Delaware, according to data from the Office of Vital Statistics. Medicaid funds a higher percentage of births from mothers of younger ages, including 74% from those 20 or younger and 51% from those 30 or younger.

For information, visit dhss.delaware.gov/dss/medicaid.html.