12-month postpartum Medicaid in Texas
The number
Texas Medicaid extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2024-03-01.
What the 12-month postpartum extension covers
Texas Medicaid has extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from the federal minimum of 60 days to 12 months. The extension took effect 2024-03-01 and was authorized under Section 9812 of the American Rescue Plan Act (2021), which allowed states to make the extension permanent through a State Plan Amendment.
What the extension covers: the same Medicaid benefits you had during pregnancy — primary care, specialty care including cardiology and behavioral health, prescription drugs, dental, vision, and transportation to appointments. Crucially, it covers screening and treatment for the leading causes of late-postpartum death: cardiovascular and cardiomyopathy events (roughly a third of US pregnancy-related deaths), mental-health and substance-use conditions, and infections.
What you need to do to keep coverage: generally nothing during the 12 months — Texas Medicaid is required to provide continuous eligibility. At the end of the 12-month window, the state will check whether you still qualify under another Medicaid category (expansion adult, parent, disability-based). If you no longer qualify for Medicaid, you will be referred to the health insurance marketplace for ACA subsidies with a special enrollment period triggered by loss of Medicaid.
Texas has the lowest parent-income Medicaid cap in the country: 15% of the federal poverty line — roughly $3,900 annual income for a family of three. Texas finally extended postpartum coverage to 12 months in March 2024 under HB 12 (2023), after CMS repeatedly denied earlier waiver requests. An estimated 1.5 million Texans remain in the coverage gap.
For Black families
The 12-month postpartum extension is especially important for Black birthing people: CDC data show roughly a third of Black pregnancy-related deaths occur between 43 days and 1 year postpartum, exactly the window the 60-day cutoff used to exclude. Texas has the lowest parent-income Medicaid cap in the country: 15% of the federal poverty line — roughly $3,900 annual income for a family of three. Texas finally extended postpartum coverage to 12 months in March 2024 under HB 12 (2023), after CMS repeatedly denied earlier waiver requests. An estimated 1.5 million Texans remain in the coverage gap.
Where to get help in Texas
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Texas: every FQHC accepts Medicaid, charges on a sliding scale for the uninsured, and has certified application counselors who can help you apply or renew. See our FQHC directory for this state at /clinics/tx/.
- Medicaid-accepting providers in Texas: our provider directory lets you filter to providers in this state. See /providers/tx/.
- State health profile for Texas: for state-level health outcomes context (maternal mortality, infant mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate) by race, see /health/texas/.
- Texas Medicaid consumer help line: 1-800-252-8263 for application help, renewal questions, and general Medicaid inquiries. Ask for an interpreter if you need one; language access is required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance maintains a national directory of Black perinatal organizations at blackmamasmatter.org. Filter to programs serving Texas.
- National Health Law Program (NHeLP) doula tracker: up-to-date Medicaid doula coverage map at healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject.
References & primary sources
- Texas Medicaid, state Medicaid portal: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip.
- KFF State Health Facts: kff.org/statedata. Medicaid income eligibility + enrollment.
- Medicaid.gov: medicaid.gov. Federal program guidance + state plan amendments.
- March of Dimes 12-month postpartum tracker: marchofdimes.org/report-card.
- CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System: cdc.gov/reproductivehealth.
Data refreshed: