Blunt expands health coverage for women
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, a federal department, has approved a request from the Missouri Department of Social Services to expand health care coverage for uninsured women in the state.
Before the approval of the request, women registered with MO Health Net could only seek women's health services 12 months after the birth of a child. In a news release, DSS Director Deborah Scott said that approximately 83,000 uninsured women aged 18-55 years that are earning up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level can now seek coverage.
"Our intent is to increase the opportunity for low income women to get annual health screenings to promote early detection of life-threatening disease such as breast or cervical cancer," Scott said in the release.
Brian Hauswirth, a DSS spokesman, said the expanded waiver could not be used to pay for any abortions. MO Health Net provides coverage for abortions in cases of rape, incest or a danger to a mother's safety as a result of the pregnancy, which are protected by federal law.