(Madison, WI) – Today, the Wisconsin Assembly concurred in Senate Bill (SB) 23 on a 95 to 1 bipartisan vote. The bill previously passed the Wisconsin Senate on April 22, 2025, on 32 to 1 bipartisan vote. Authored by Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) and Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston), SB 23 extends Medical Assistance (Medicaid) coverage for postpartum women from 60 days to 365 days. Under current law, a baby is covered by Medicaid for a full 12 months after birth. Senate Bill 23 simply extends mom’s coverage to 12 months after birth to match her baby’s length of coverage. With Governor Evers’ expected signature, Wisconsin will soon join forty-eight states and the District of Columbia in providing twelve months of continuous Medicaid coverage for mothers postpartum.
“Senate Bill 23 is especially beneficial to mothers facing crisis pregnancies,” said Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director. Sande continued:
Providing comprehensive pre- and post-natal medical coverage for both mom and baby, from conception to one year after birth, will encourage mothers to choose life for their preborn children. Knowing the Medicaid program will provide affordable, optimal, and prolonged care for her and her child, before and after birth, will help empower vulnerable moms to overcome the abortion temptation in challenging circumstances. We thank Assembly Speaker Vos for scheduling this critical bipartisan legislation and the full Assembly for passing it. SB 23 will save lives and, long-term, it will save the Medicaid program dollars by promoting healthy outcomes for moms and babies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists common causes of pregnancy-related deaths, including cardiovascular diseases, sepsis, hemorrhage, cardiomyopathy, thrombotic pulmonary embolism, stroke, hypertension, or high blood pressure linked with protein spilled into the urine during pregnancy called preeclampsia, and amniotic fluid embolism. These conditions can be mitigated or even avoided with consistent and adequate postpartum care.
According to Arielle Exner of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, “Statewide, a third of the 63 pregnancy-related deaths in the three years from 2020 to 2022 occurred more than two months after giving birth” (Volpenhein, 2025). This means that 21 of the 63 Wisconsin mothers who tragically passed away from pregnancy-related deaths from 2020-2022 were not on Medicaid for postpartum care at the time of their passing, because their coverage expired at 60 days. It’s very possible that their deaths could have been avoided with extended coverage, which is what SB 23 seeks to accomplish.
“Pro-Life Wisconsin is continuously working to make our state a safe haven for mothers and their preborn children,” said Sande. He observed:
It is vitally important that we provide robust public and private support for pregnant mothers. Extending Medicaid coverage to mothers for the first year of their child’s life is part of this. It is good public policy. A healthy mom will be better equipped to care for her baby financially, medically, materially, and emotionally.
Teresa Czaplewski, Pro-Life Wisconsin Communications Director and expectant mother of twins, had this to say on the passage of SB 23:
The passage of SB 23 is a great and timely support for Wisconsin mothers. As a first-time mom currently expecting twins, I know just how vital it is to have stable healthcare before, during, and after my babies are born. The first year of human life outside of the womb holds many unknowns for both mothers and their infants. We need a village, from family and friends bringing meals and cleaning the house, to uninterrupted healthcare coverage that allows for the essential doctor visits that ensure that mothers and their infant children are recovering and thriving in the postpartum period. I’ve had private marketplace coverage, and I know that the cost of personally paying for your own healthcare premiums and copays is a strain on many Wisconsinites. Having this extended Medicaid coverage for Wisconsin mothers who desperately need it sends a clear message that our state wants us and our babies to survive and thrive.
Pro-Life Wisconsin applauds the passage of Senate Bill 23 by the Wisconsin Legislature, and we look forward its swift enactment.
