CMS Announces 15 States to Receive $17M in Maternal Health Funding

On December 15, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the new Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, an initiative aimed at tackling the maternal mortality crisis through strategic investments in State Medicaid agencies (SMA). 

If you need a refresher, we covered that announcement and some of the highlights here: CMS introduces new Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) model to support equity and access for Medicaid births.

In brief, the model aims to support better maternal healthcare by focusing on three pillars:

• Access to care, infrastructure, and workforce capacity
• Quality improvement and safety
• Whole-person care delivery

Investing in and supporting alternative care models is a major piece of the strategy, specifically increasing access to birth centers and midwives, as well as perinatal community health workers and doulas. 

By supporting more options for care, especially on the community level, the model aims to promote a more empowered patient population, encouraging shared decision-making through the pregnancy and postpartum experience.

Aligning with a recent call from the AMA for comprehensive coverage of virtual maternal health services in Medicaid, the model also includes a directive to manage rising rates of hypertension and diabetes in pregnant and postpartum women with digital health solutions. Specifically, the model will provide assistance to SMAs to “incorporate home monitoring and telehealth technology for birthing people who have medical conditions like gestational diabetes and hypertension that complicate pregnancies.”

This month, CMS announced the 15 states selected to participate in the model:

Each SMA is eligible to receive up to $17 million in funding to support implementation over the course of 10 years. This is the largest federal initiative to date to standardize maternal health care across states, and is a massive step towards reducing disparities and improving outcomes nationwide.