HHS to Help Expand Nationwide Access and Coverage for High-quality Maternal Health Services

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making efforts to improve maternal health and support the delivery of equitable, high-quality care for pregnancy and postpartum care as part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Call to Action to Reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity.

According to HHS, CMS has plans to propose a “birthing-friendly” designation to drive improvements in maternal health equity as well as perinatal health outcomes. Initially the designation would identify “hospitals that provide perinatal care, are participating in a maternity care quality improvement collaborative, and have implemented recommended patient safety practices,” stated HHS.

“CMS is encouraging states to take advantage of the American Rescue Plan’s option to provide 12 months postpartum coverage to pregnant individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP),” stated HHS in a press release.

A recent report by HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation showed that if every state adopted an extension—as proposed in the Build Back Better Act—then the number of Americans getting coverage for a full year postpartum would roughly double, extending coverage for an estimated 720,000 in a given year.”

According to HHS, more than 42% of births in the United States are covered by Medicaid and CHIP and of that percentage nearly half are Black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals. 

“No mother should have to fight for her coverage or care during pregnancy or while caring for a newborn. CMS is doing everything we can to support the health of new parents and families, and to advance health equity across the country,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “…we are committed to advancing equitable, high-quality maternity care, and reducing unnecessary postpartum illnesses and deaths that disproportionately harm people of color.”

HHS also notes that extended coverage will help individuals in the postpartum period gain access to behavioral health services and manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

Furthermore, states that adopt the extended postpartum coverage option ensure individuals enrolled in CHIP or Medicaid while pregnant will be eligible for 12 months of extended postpartum coverage.

“Additional individuals who will benefit from a state’s election are those whose pregnancy ended within three-months of their application for Medicaid and who would have been eligible when their pregnancy ended had they applied earlier,” stated HHS.

Reference:
HHS Announces Efforts to Help Expand Nationwide Access and Coverage for High-quality Maternal Health Services. US Department of Health and Human Services. December 7, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. hhs.gov/about/news/2021/12/07/hhs-announces-efforts-help-expand-nationwide-access-coverage-high-quality-maternal-health-services.html