Postpartum care

A pregnant mother poses with the ultrasound printout of her baby. (Getty Images)

Help for new mothers proves more popular than state can handle

BY: - July 26, 2023

A recently expanded state program that connects new mothers to a personal nurse already has a waiting list in at least one of the South Dakota counties it serves. The Department of Health’s Bright Start program grew from a handful of counties to near-statewide over the past year, thanks in part to an influx of […]

The South Dakota Department of Social Services in Pierre. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

More states, including SD, seek postpartum Medicaid coverage beyond two months

BY: - June 4, 2023

At least eight states this year — including South Dakota — have decided to seek federal approval to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage, leaving just a handful that have opted not to guarantee at least a year of health care for women during that critical period after pregnancy. The new states on the list include Montana, […]