Government and health care leaders met this week to discuss key action areas to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum individuals.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week hosted its first convening on maternal health, We Can Do Better: Advancing Maternity Care Together, since launching its Maternity Care Action plan in July.
The meeting connected government and health care leaders, including White House Domestic Policy Advisor Susan E. Rice, Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson, New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, and other leaders who discussed key steps to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum individuals, as well the need for a more diverse maternal health workforce and the ability for consumers to be able to identify health systems prioritizing maternal care.
As part of the convening, CMS has unveiled a Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation logo, the first of its kind, to indicate the facilities who have received the designation based on the quality and safety of their maternity care. The logo will on CMS’ Care Compare website as well as on the websites of the more than 25 health plans that have committed to displaying the logo.
Additionally, HHS has released a new report, Doula Care and Maternal Health: An Evidence Review, on the effectiveness of doula care on maternal health outcomes and the policy opportunities to expand doula care in the U.S.
The convening marks the agency’s latest efforts coinciding with the Biden Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which includes a request for $470 million to address maternal health needs in the 2023 budget, such as the requirement of 12 months of postpartum coverage in Medicaid, state-specific action plans to address maternal health needs, an expansion of HRSA’s Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program, an expansion of providers’ capabilities to screen and address maternal behavioral health needs, initiatives to address social determinants of maternal health, and more.
“From day one of this Administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been champions in the effort to improve maternal health care and equity, and we are proud to deliver on their calls for big, bold action,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “We will continue working with our partners across government and industry to ensure that every pregnant and postpartum person gets the high-quality health care they deserve. This is an urgent priority, and our nation can – and must – do better.”