“You need that help”: Mom wishes she had better care after giving birth on Medicaid

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A House bill that’s now stalled in the Texas Senate would extend Medicaid coverage for pregnant women to a year postpartum. Juanita Raji knows she and her family suffered years ago when the state kicked her off of the health coverage plan for low-income children and families two months after she gave birth.

The Houston mom said she was left to guess how to best address her Type 2 diabetes that developed during pregnancy. But now, as an eligibility specialist with Legacy Community Health, she’s not only well informed about her coverage options, she helps Texans gain access to health plans that fit their budgets.

Raji says she knows extending coverage would be invaluable for Black women, in particular, who become pregnant and qualify for Medicaid.

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