New Moms in Wisconsin to Get Extension of Vital Benefits After GOP Powerbroker Ends Holdout

Wisconsin has voted to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 60 days to one year, a measure previously blocked by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The bipartisan bill passed the Assembly 95-1 and is expected to be signed by Governor Tony Evers, making Wisconsin the second-to-last state to adopt this federal program. Vos, who had long opposed the extension citing welfare concerns, relented after sustained pressure from Republican colleagues, including one who threatened not to seek re-election. This change provides vital health insurance to low-income mothers and aligns Wisconsin with nearly every other state in supporting maternal health.