In the United States, the amount of pregnancy-associated deaths due to drug use nearly tripled between 2010 and 2019.1 Maternal health has a direct impact on infant health and MHLIC […]
Plans of Safe Care
Black Mamas Matter: In Policy and Practice – A Policy Agenda for the Black Maternal Health, Rights, and Justice Movement
Black Mamas Matter: In Policy and Practice – A Policy Agenda for the Black Maternal Health, Rights, and Justice Movement
Black Mamas Matter Alliance’s comprehensive, issues and values-based policy agenda. Asan Alliance of Black women-led organizations and multidisciplinary professionals, BMMA sees the development of a policy agenda as a unique […]
Building on a Strong Start Alongside midwifery units expand access to birth center care
Building on a Strong Start Alongside midwifery units expand access to birth center care
The Midwifery Center is a collaboration between the ambulatory (El Rio Health) and acute care (Tucson Medical Center) organizations to provide eligible mothers seen by the midwifery service in the […]
State Strategies for Preventing Pregnancy-Related Deaths: A Guide for Moving Maternal Mortality Review Committee Data to Action
State Strategies for Preventing Pregnancy-Related Deaths: A Guide for Moving Maternal Mortality Review Committee Data to Action
State Strategies for Preventing Pregnancy-Related Deaths: A Guide for Moving Maternal Mortality Review Committee Data to Action provides MMRCs and their partners with a guide to help facilitate implementation of data-informed strategies […]
Advancing Maternal Health Equity in Southern States: What Are Medicaid Programs Doing and What More Could They Do?
Advancing Maternal Health Equity in Southern States: What Are Medicaid Programs Doing and What More Could They Do?
For this study on Medicaid and maternal health, we conducted interviews with national experts, a national policy scan, and case studies in three Southern states (Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas) that […]
Doula Care and Maternal Health: An Evidence Review
Doula Care and Maternal Health: An Evidence Review
Doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after labor and birth. This report explores the role of doulas in maternal health care, reviews the evidence on the […]
Centering Equity in Maternal Health Innovation through Policy and Engagement
Centering Equity in Maternal Health Innovation through Policy and Engagement
MHLIC launched its first interactive online module in January 2023. Starting with an overview of current maternal health data in the US and some common definitions of equity, the module […]
Spark Sessions
Spark Sessions
MHLIC’s National Maternal Health Innovation Symposium includes recorded “Spark Sessions” featuring innovative practices designed to improve maternal health. What are Spark Sessions? Spark Sessions are short on-demand videos featuring practices being […]
Funding Resilience: Advancing Multisector Investments for Equity©
Funding Resilience: Advancing Multisector Investments for Equity©
Funding Resilience: Advancing Multisector Investments for Equity© is an interactive tool designed to help communities: Users can explore funding streams through graphs, maps, and tables that can be filtered by […]
Virtual Symposium: Health Care Transformation to Advance Black Maternal Health Equity
Virtual Symposium: Health Care Transformation to Advance Black Maternal Health Equity
The Commonwealth Fund hosted a virtual symposium with leading experts from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Century Foundation, Urban Institute and more and explored: ideas for financing […]
Policymakers Have More Work to Do to Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis
Policymakers Have More Work to Do to Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis
This blog compares the provisions of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus, FY22 Appropriations, and FY23 President’s Budget proposals. FY22 Omnibus Appropriations bill are enacted. Items included in the President’s Budget […]
Local Wellness Funds: Advancing the Practice
Local Wellness Funds: Advancing the Practice
Local wellness funds are a dedicated and sustainable pool of locally controlled funds created to support community well-being by improving health outcomes and reducing health inequities. These funds could be […]
Health Affairs Journal – February 2022
Health Affairs Journal – February 2022
This edition of the Health Affairs Journal was dedicated to racism and health.
Extending Postpartum Medicaid Coverage: State Pathways and Policy Impacts
Extending Postpartum Medicaid Coverage: State Pathways and Policy Impacts
Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the United States. As such, state actions to change aspects of the program, like the length of coverage during the postpartum period, […]
CMS Issues Guidance on New Postpartum Coverage State Option in Medicaid and CHIP
CMS Issues Guidance on New Postpartum Coverage State Option in Medicaid and CHIP
This article from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University Health Policy Institute unpacks guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to states implementing the […]
Tracking Progress of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus
Tracking Progress of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus
The Black Maternal Health Momnibus is a comprehensive set of solutions designed to address the many facets of the Black maternal health crisis in the U.S., including bolstering social determinants […]
Intersectionality Policymaking Toolkit
Intersectionality Policymaking Toolkit
Grounded in core tenets of intersectionality, the Intersectionality Policymaking Toolkit (IPT) was developed to help policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders with their health equity work in the area of maternal […]
Virginia Invests in Doulas to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
Virginia Invests in Doulas to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
The United States is facing a maternal health crisis with poor maternal health outcomes. Across the country, states have adopted many strategies to address maternal mortality and morbidity. One state […]
State-Level Social and Economic Policies and Their Association With Perinatal and Infant Outcomes
State-Level Social and Economic Policies and Their Association With Perinatal and Infant Outcomes
State-level social and economic policies have the potential to reduce adverse perinatal and infant health outcomes in the United States. Those states with the least expansive policies should therefore consider […]
A Racial Equity Framework for Assessing Health Policy
A Racial Equity Framework for Assessing Health Policy
Public policy is a powerful determinant of racial inequity in health, but we lack tools for examining how the entire policymaking process impacts racial inequities. The Racial Equity and Policy […]
Putting Maternal Mental Health on the Map
Putting Maternal Mental Health on the Map
State Resources and Policy Much of the work addressing maternal mental health has been done at the state level,with states creating task forces, passing legislation that requires educating healthcare providers […]
Healing Through Policy: Sample Policies and Practices to Address Systemic Health and Racial Inequities
Healing Through Policy: Sample Policies and Practices to Address Systemic Health and Racial Inequities
Launched in October 2021, Healing Through Policy: Creating Pathways to Racial Justice is an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation, the American Public Health Association, and the National Collaborative for Health Equity. The policy and practice suite is […]
Advancing Health Equity Through Improved Access to Patient-Centered Contraceptive Care
Advancing Health Equity Through Improved Access to Patient-Centered Contraceptive Care
In Advancing Health Equity Through Improved Access to Patient-Centered Contraceptive Care, Families USA brings the latest and most relevant patient-centered outcomes research to bear on the issue of patient-centered contraceptive […]
Bright Spots: Highlighting Sucessful State Policies to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes
Bright Spots: Highlighting Sucessful State Policies to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes
As state advocates prepare for the 2022 legislative sessions, this paper highlights a series of examples of state-level policies that prioritize the health of families by investing in intergenerational approaches. […]
Perinatal Cannabis Use in the Era of Increasing Legalization: Considerations for State MCH Programs
Perinatal Cannabis Use in the Era of Increasing Legalization: Considerations for State MCH Programs
Approximately one in 20 people report using cannabis while pregnant, making it the most used federally illicit substance by pregnant people in the U.S., according to SAMSHA. The potential harms […]
Postpartum 1115 Waiver State Evaluation Plans
Postpartum 1115 Waiver State Evaluation Plans
States have submitted 1115 waivers to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage and reported measurement goals for the post-implementation period that pertain to long-term maternal health. In their applications, they have outlined […]
Midwifery: An Evidence-Based Solution for Disrespect, Racism and Other Challenges in Maternity Care
Midwifery: An Evidence-Based Solution for Disrespect, Racism and Other Challenges in Maternity Care
Webinar discussing midwifery as an evidence-based solution and protective model to address the important challenges in women’s health care and addressing which policies have worked to promote midwifery in communities […]
Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda
Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda
Reproductive Justice sheds light on the multiple combined forms of oppression that contribute to the reproductive oppression of women of color. This Agenda presents proactive policy solutions grounded in a […]
Doula Care in the United States
Doula Care in the United States
“The lack of uniformity in federal requirements for doula certification makes it difficult to assess how many doulas there are in the United States.” This report provides insight to how […]
AMCHP Maternal Health Bill Tracker (117th Congress)
AMCHP Maternal Health Bill Tracker (117th Congress)
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) has developed a maternal health bill tracker for the 117th Congress. The tracker is designed to help anyone interested in maternal health […]
Association of Teachers of Maternal & Child Health (ATMCH) Teaching & Learning Resources
Association of Teachers of Maternal & Child Health (ATMCH) Teaching & Learning Resources
ATMCH has a variety of syllabi and educational resources arranged under different topic areas. By clicking on the title of the resource, you can access the full resources with all […]
Reviewing Policies for Equity Impact: A Tool to Support Equitable Maternal Health Outcomes
Reviewing Policies for Equity Impact: A Tool to Support Equitable Maternal Health Outcomes
Implementing targeted policies is a powerful strategy for eliminating racial inequities in maternal health outcomes. In this webinar recorded on May 14, 2021, Dr. Cynthia Osborne, Director of the Prenatal-to-3 […]
Promoting Better Maternal Health Outcomes by Closing the Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Gap
Promoting Better Maternal Health Outcomes by Closing the Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Gap
The Century Foundation examined the impact of Medicaid coverage loss at 60 days postpartum by conducting qualitative analyses of public policy efforts in Illinois, New Jersey and South Carolina.
Advancing Racial Equity in Maternal Mental Health Policy
Advancing Racial Equity in Maternal Mental Health Policy
This brief offers a variety of strategies that policymakers and advocates can use to advance racial equity in maternal mental health. It offers effective models from communities across the country […]
Analysis of Federal Bills to Strengthen Maternal Healthcare
Analysis of Federal Bills to Strengthen Maternal Healthcare
Summaries of several bills on maternal health currently pending in Congress.
Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Detailed accounting of MMRCs in all 50 states with useful tables comparing across multiple dimension.
Eliminating Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Mortality A Comprehensive Policy Blueprint
Eliminating Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Mortality A Comprehensive Policy Blueprint
This report provides a comprehensive policy framework to eliminate racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality. Too often, policy conversations about maternal and infant health take place separately despite the […]
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance – Policy Resources
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance – Policy Resources
Since the early 2000s, awareness about maternal mental health issues has grown exponentially. MMHLA is committed to harnessing this energy and enthusiasm to create meaningful change at the federal level […]
Review to Action – Maternal Mortality Review Map and State Profiles
Review to Action – Maternal Mortality Review Map and State Profiles
Maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) identify, review, and analyze maternal deaths, and disseminate and act on findings. Not every state in the U.S. has a MMRC, but every day momentum […]
Review to Action – Authority and Protections for State Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Review to Action – Authority and Protections for State Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Window into detailed policies relevant for MMRC’s.
The Maternity Medical Home: The Chassis for a More Holistic Model of Pregnancy Care?
The Maternity Medical Home: The Chassis for a More Holistic Model of Pregnancy Care?
Many health systems and states in the US attempting to scale Triple Aim approaches to care implemented elements of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) as a foundation in their work. […]
Extending Medicaid Coverage For Postpartum Moms
Extending Medicaid Coverage For Postpartum Moms
Women often struggle to get the care they need in the fourth trimester (the 12 weeks following childbirth). This blog discusses the issues and potential solutions around extending postpartum coverage […]
Women In The United States Experience High Rates Of Coverage ‘Churn’ In Months Before And After Childbirth
Women In The United States Experience High Rates Of Coverage ‘Churn’ In Months Before And After Childbirth
Insurance transitions—sometimes referred to as “churn”—before and after childbirth can adversely affect the continuity and quality of care. Yet little is known about coverage patterns and changes for women giving […]
Expanding Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
Expanding Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
This brief discusses Medicaid’s eligibility for pregnancy and postpartum care, describes gaps in coverage particularly for low-income women who live in states that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, […]
Medicaid Expansion Fills Gaps in Maternal Health Coverage Leading to Healthier Mothers and Babies
Medicaid Expansion Fills Gaps in Maternal Health Coverage Leading to Healthier Mothers and Babies
In this paper we review the substantial new research showing the significant improvements in access to health coverage for women of childbearing age achieved through the adoption of the Affordable […]
NCSL’s Maternal and Child Health Database
NCSL’s Maternal and Child Health Database
Through the interactive database on this page, find up-to-date information about enacted maternal and child health (MCH) legislation. Legislative topics include newborn screening, women’s health, childhood obesity and nutrition, maternal […]
Mind the Gap: A Strategic Roadmap to Address America’s Silent Health Crisis: Untreated and Unaddressed Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
Mind the Gap: A Strategic Roadmap to Address America’s Silent Health Crisis: Untreated and Unaddressed Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
Mind the Gap is a Collective Impact Initiative led by Postpartum Support International (PSI), in partnership with a broad-based stakeholder coalition comprised of leading experts from national professional and advocacy […]
Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities
Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities
CMS has aligned health policies to its Rural Health Strategy and its new Rethinking Rural Health Initiative and released its first Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Scorecard to […]
The Doula Medicaid Project
The Doula Medicaid Project
The National Health Law Program is currently tracking federal and state legislation relating to Medicaid coverage of doula care that has been introduced during the current legislative session. They have […]
Current State Telehealth Laws & Reimbursement Policies
Current State Telehealth Laws & Reimbursement Policies
This resource helps you stay informed about telehealth-related laws, regulations and Medicaid programs. The map and search options cover current laws and regulations for all fifty states and the District […]
Inventory of State-Level Medicaid Policies, Programs, and Initiatives to Improve Maternity Care and Outcomes
Inventory of State-Level Medicaid Policies, Programs, and Initiatives to Improve Maternity Care and Outcomes
The inventory includes a summary tab as well as a detailed tab that provides additional information about each policy/initiative and allows users to filter to the categories or subcategories of […]
Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM)
Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM)
AIM is a national data-driven maternal safety and quality improvement initiative based on interdisciplinary consensus-based practices to improving maternal safety and outcomes. The program provides implementation and data support for […]
CMS Releases State Funding to Improve Integrated Care for Children and Pregnant and Postpartum Women Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
CMS Releases State Funding to Improve Integrated Care for Children and Pregnant and Postpartum Women Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two highly anticipated initiatives — the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model and the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model — which […]
Using Data, Incentives, and Innovation, Three States Work to Improve Maternal Vaccination Rates
Using Data, Incentives, and Innovation, Three States Work to Improve Maternal Vaccination Rates
Three states are trying a number of innovative approaches to increase vaccination rates among pregnant women by providing incentives to health plans, increasing access to vaccinations through pharmacies, and using […]
New Eight-State Policy Academy Advances Access to Care for Pregnant/Parenting Women with SUD
New Eight-State Policy Academy Advances Access to Care for Pregnant/Parenting Women with SUD
Substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health conditions are prevalent among pregnant and parenting women in the United States, and they have far-reaching consequences for the health and well-being of […]
Infographic: State Team-Based Care Strategies for Medicaid-Eligible Women
Infographic: State Team-Based Care Strategies for Medicaid-Eligible Women
Washington, DC, Montana, and Minnesota review of their respective strategies.
Case Studies: How Tennessee and California Medicaid Programs Promote Access to Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception
Case Studies: How Tennessee and California Medicaid Programs Promote Access to Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception
Increasing women’s access to postpartum birth control has the potential to increase the health and well-being of women and their families, and immediate postpartum birth control can lead to a […]
Medicaid Disaster Relief for the COVID-19 National Emergency State Plan Amendment Instructions
Medicaid Disaster Relief for the COVID-19 National Emergency State Plan Amendment Instructions
States (including the District of Columbia and territories) can request approval of specific changes related to the national emergency declared due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Click ‘View Now’ for the […]
Maternal And Child Health Database
Maternal And Child Health Database
With this interactive database, find up-to-date information about enacted maternal and child health (MCH) legislation. Legislative topics include newborn screening, women’s health, childhood obesity and nutrition, maternal and infant mortality, maternal and child […]
State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth
State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth
Although telehealth services have been available in many states for decades, the recent public health emergency (PHE) resulting from COVID-19 has accelerated the interest in service delivery through telehealth. The […]
New Jersey’s Project ECHO Builds Provider Capacity to Support Maternal and Child Health during COVID-19
New Jersey’s Project ECHO Builds Provider Capacity to Support Maternal and Child Health during COVID-19
Confronted with a pandemic that impacts the health of women and children – ranging from pregnancy and delivery to access to substance abuse treatment – a consortium of New Jersey […]
View Each State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Coverage to Postpartum Women
View Each State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Coverage to Postpartum Women
Extending Medicaid coverage to postpartum women beyond 60 days is emerging as a key state strategy to address the maternal mortality crisis. This interactive map and chart summarize proposed and […]
Federal Legislation to Improve Maternal Health: Summary and Status
Federal Legislation to Improve Maternal Health: Summary and Status
This legislation tracker provides a summary of 27 federal bills introduced in the 116th Congress (2019-2020) to improve maternal health. The latest update to the tracker was July 16, 2020.
National Implementation Research Network
National Implementation Research Network
Implementation Science resources – Teams, co-creation partners, community engagement, etc.
State Policies to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
State Policies to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
Website with State comparison table and policy data, including coverage and benefits, care delivery transformation, and data and oversight.
Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy and Perinatal Benefits: Results from a State Survey
Improving Our Maternity Care Now: Four Care Models Decisionmakers Must Implement for Healthier Moms and Babies
Improving Our Maternity Care Now: Four Care Models Decisionmakers Must Implement for Healthier Moms and Babies
Research shows that specific care models make a demonstrable difference in better care, experiences, and birth outcomes. We must take steps to make these widely available. We have identified three […]
Telehealth and the COVID-19 Response: Policy Changes and Implementation Strategies
Telehealth and the COVID-19 Response: Policy Changes and Implementation Strategies
During this webinar, HMA experts described the different modalities of telehealth and laid out the policy and reimbursement implications for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Speakers detailed changes to HIPAA […]
NASHP Roundtable: Georgia and Illinois Work to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
NASHP Roundtable: Georgia and Illinois Work to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
This blog and slide deck reflects a virtual roundtable discussion of state officials to discuss maternal health initiatives in Illinois and Georgia and explore strategies to improve maternal health outcomes […]
State Strategies to Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis
State Strategies to Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis
The inequities laid bare by COVID-19 underscore the importance of states’ efforts to develop policies and interventions to address all health disparities. Systemic racism, a driver of these inequities, also […]
Telehealth in Maternal and Child Health Care
Telehealth in Maternal and Child Health Care
Telehealth is increasingly used across a range of health care specialties of interest to March of Dimes, including obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, and mental health. As usage and the evidence base […]
Telehealth and Preventive Care during COVID-19: A WPSI Webinar
Telehealth and Preventive Care during COVID-19: A WPSI Webinar
Objectives Define telehealth and telehealth modalities Summarize WPSI recommendations Leveraging telehealth to deliver WPSI recommendations
Tracker of Federal Maternal Health Bills (116th Congress)
Tracker of Federal Maternal Health Bills (116th Congress)
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) joined with the National Partnership for Women and Families and Every Mother Counts to develop a tracker of Maternal Health Bills introduced in […]
Safeguarding Maternal Health and Rights in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Safeguarding Maternal Health and Rights in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This brief from the Center for Reproductive Rights provides guidance for government officials and health care decision makers to ensure that pregnant people have access to high quality, respectful maternal […]
Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19
Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19
The Kaiser Family Foundation aggregates tracking information on approved Medicaid emergency authorities to address the COVID-19 Coronavirus emergency.
The MCH Navigator
The MCH Navigator
The website has a variety of learning resources as well as videos, modules on multiple topics – self-directed, semi-structured learning, etc.
National Academy for State Health Policy Map of State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Coverage to Postpartum Women
National Academy for State Health Policy Map of State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Coverage to Postpartum Women
Extending Medicaid coverage to postpartum women beyond 60 days is emerging as a key state strategy to address the maternal mortality crisis. This interactive map and chart summarize proposed and […]
Equitable Maternal Health Coalition Continuing Medicaid/CHIP Postpartum Coverage Toolkits
Equitable Maternal Health Coalition Continuing Medicaid/CHIP Postpartum Coverage Toolkits
To help advance collective advocacy efforts to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a minimum of 12 months postpartum, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Association of Maternal […]
Improving Maternal Health Access, Coverage, and Outcomes in Medicaid
Improving Maternal Health Access, Coverage, and Outcomes in Medicaid
This report reflects the Institute for Medicaid Innovation’s national project to answer critical questions that are needed to advance maternal health, specific to the midwifery-led model of care, for the […]
Four State Strategies to Employ Doulas to Improve Maternal Health and Birth Outcomes in Medicaid
Four State Strategies to Employ Doulas to Improve Maternal Health and Birth Outcomes in Medicaid
This report from the National Academy for State Health Policy highlights how four state programs support doula services to women covered by Medicaid.
Community-Based Maternal Support Services: The Role of Doulas and Community Health Workers in Medicaid
Community-Based Maternal Support Services: The Role of Doulas and Community Health Workers in Medicaid
This report explores how community-based maternal support services provided by community-based doulas and maternity community health workers improve maternal health outcomes. It also highlights the results of a national environmental […]
Trends in Pregnancy Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them
Trends in Pregnancy Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them
In this report, the GAO describes, among other things, (1) trends in pregnancy-related deaths in the United States, including trends in causes and timing of these deaths, and (2) HHS […]