- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved Louisiana, Virginia, New Jersey, and Illinois’ extension of Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy on or before April 1, 2022. CMS is also working with another eleven states and the District of Columbia to extend postpartum coverage for a full year after pregnancy, including: California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In addition, a number of other states have announced that they are working to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage to 12 months after pregnancy, and CMS looks forward to working with those states.
- In order to receive federal funds and to ensure consistency with federal standards, including those set by the American Rescue Plan, states must go through a formal process run by CMS. Medicaid covers more than 40 percent of births in the United States, and extending this coverage will bring the peace of mind of health coverage to parents and children during the vulnerable post-partum period.
- Based on HHS estimates, approximately 720,000 people would benefit if all states were to adopt the American Rescue Plan’s new option to extend post-partum Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full 12 months.
- Initially, the designation would be awarded to hospitals based on attestation that the hospital has participated in maternity care quality improvement collaboratives and implemented best practices that advance health care quality, safety, and equity for pregnant and post-partum patients.
- Data will be submitted by hospitals for the first time in May 2022, and CMS will post data for October to December 2021 in fall 2022. Criteria for the designation may be expanded in the future.
- These awards will advance data and technology innovations to support positive maternal and child health outcomes in states and communities, and focus on addressing health disparities.
Previous Actions Announced since the Vice President’s Call to Action in December
- Investing in Doulas: HHS announced the availability of $4.5 million for hiring, training, certifying, and compensating community-based doulas in areas with high rates of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, doubling the number of Healthy Start doula programs nationwide.
- Title X: HHS restored access to Title X family planning services nationwide to fill service gaps caused by more than a quarter of Title X providers withdrawing from the program over the past two and a half years in response to the previous administration’s Title X rule. HHS awarded $256.6 million in grant funding to support 76 grantees to deliver equitable, affordable, client-centered, and high-quality family planning services.
- FY23 Budget Request: The President’s budget includes $470 million to: reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates; expand maternal health initiatives in rural communities; implement implicit bias training for healthcare providers; create pregnancy medical home demonstration projects; and address the highest rates of perinatal health disparities, including by supporting the perinatal health workforce.
Additional Background
- As Vice President, Kamala Harris has worked closely with President Biden and other leaders in the Administration to improve outcomes for Black women and their families.
- The White House released a Presidential Proclamation to mark Black Maternal Health Week in 2021 and 2022.
- In December 2021, the Vice President led a Maternal Health Day of Action Summit, noting the urgent need to address this crisis.
- At the Summit, the Vice President announced guidance to help states provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage through their Medicaid programs, up from 60 days; a new HHS report showing the impact of state extensions of Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months; and CMS’s plan to propose the establishment of a “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designation. She also announced that more than 20 companies and nonprofits have pledged to invest over $150 million and take other critical actions to address the maternal health crisis.
- The Omnibus spending bill passed in March and signed by the President includes both the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act and an expansion of the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) program.
- These foundational bills authorize and improve programs to address the maternal mortality crisis in this country and build on current funding at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
- She convened roundtables, lifted up local organizations that are focused on the issue, and ensured that initiatives on maternal health included references to racial disparities and relevant solutions.
She introduced several bills in the Senate specifically targeted to addressing racial disparities in maternal mortality, including the Maternal CARE Act and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.
