Today the Governor signed the postpartum Medicaid extension bill into law.

For people that have given birth while on Medicaid/BadgerCare, they will have health insurance for a full year after giving birth, instead of the current 60 days. The bill, now Wisconsin Act 102, takes effect on July 1, 2026.

This was a long fought victory, and we did it by coming together across race and place.

• Doulas, midwives, and new parents shared their stories, so that lawmakers understood and could no longer ignore the real impacts of their policy choices.
• We’ve fought alongside advocates for years, who’ve held decision makers publicly accountable for their inaction around this issue, like The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, the Black Maternal & Child Health Alliance, American Academy of Pediatrics – WI Chapter, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, WI Association of School Nurses, WI Catholic Conference, Main Street Alliance Action Fund, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – WI Section, American Lung Association in Wisconsin, and so many more. 
• We want to recognize the bill’s primary authors who stuck their necks out to do what’s right: Representative Patrick Snyder and Senator Jesse James. But it was surely a team effort, this bill had overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Assembly and Senate. 
• Many current legislators have been leading on this issue since it was first introduced in 2019, like Representatives Billings, Neubauer, Sinicki, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining, and former Rep Loudenbeck. Senators Carpenter, Hesselbein, Johson, Larson, and Wirch.

Nearly three out of every four pregnancy-related deaths occur after giving birth and the vast majority of those deaths are preventable. Rural women and Black women continue to bear the brunt of this broken, inadequate health care system. This bill will not fully address maternal and infant health disparities in our state, but it is a much needed, crucial step forward. 

When we come together across this state, we can ensure that mothers and their families have the health care they need to thrive. Extending postpartum coverage will make sure more parents have the coverage and care they need, and help improve maternal and child health outcomes for every Wisconsin mother, regardless of what zip code they live in.

So many of you have spoken out on this issue – thank you!