On Friday, Members of the Illinois delegation wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services endorsing the state’s waiver request to expand care access to new moms for the entire postpartum period. In endorsing the waiver request, they wrote: “Illinois’ waiver request demonstrates innovative solutions to the maternal mortality crisis and embodies the intent of Congress in creating the Medicaid program to provide medical assistance to our nation’s most vulnerable populations.” In Illinois, maternal deaths have reached crisis levels. According to the Illinois Department of Health’s Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report, 93 new Illinois moms lost their lives in 2015. On average, the state lost 73 new moms from 2008-2016 each year and 72 percent of these deaths were deemed to be preventable. Expanding Medicaid coverage to the entire postpartum period is a proven strategy to reduce maternal deaths. At present, Medicaid, which covers 44 percent of births in Illinois, expires for new moms just 60 days after giving birth, well short of the one-year coverage recommendation from medical experts. Evidence shows that 70 percent of new moms will have at least one complication within a year of giving birth.