FEATURED ARTICLE
Wisconsin and Oklahoma Case Studies Show Marked Maternal Health Care Improvements
/in Policy Oklahoma, Wisconsin Reports Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by Anisha Agrawal and Derica SmithState Medicaid agencies, which fund half of all births in the United States, are increasingly looking for ways to improve birth outcomes and maternal health while reducing costs by improving medical care and avoiding medically unnecessary cesarean sections. Two case studies from Wisconsin and Oklahoma show how these states successfully improved health care access and quality by […]
Highlighting State Medicaid Performance Measures, Improvement Projects, & Incentives To Promote Improvement in Women’s Health Services and Perinatal Outcomes
/in Policy Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Anisha Agrawal and Derica SmithPoor birth outcomes, such as pre-term birth, carry substantial human and financial costs and are generally influenced by women’s health and socioeconomic factors such as race, ethnicity, income, health care access, and education. According to the Institute of Medicine, the cost associated with pre-term birth in the U.S. is $26.2 billion each year, with Medicaid […]
State Medicaid Quality Measurement Activities for Women’s Health
/in Policy CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Anisha Agrawal*Maps and Chart updated as of November 3, 2017* State Medicaid agencies provide a variety of health services to women that promote overall health and well-being and support improved birth outcomes, such as reduction in infant mortality rates. States have the option of implementing performance measurement, incentives or improvement projects, including as part of broad […]
Delaware and Georgia Use Innovative Strategies to Promote Women’s Health in Medicaid
/in Policy Delaware, Georgia Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Liz McCamanUnplanned pregnancies present a challenge for many women, their families and communities, and are associated with a number of costly health outcomes, including delayed prenatal care, premature birth and low birth weight. Federal initiatives like the Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network to Reduce Infant Mortality (IM CoIIN) have helped to engage state leaders in efforts […]
Case Study: How Minnesota Uses Medicaid Levers to Address Maternal Depression and Improve Healthy Child Development
/in Policy Minnesota Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP WritersDespite evidence that maternal depression is quite common and can negatively impact young children’s development, it is often undiagnosed and untreated. Since the rate of maternal depression is disproportionately higher in low-income women, Medicaid can play a leading role in identifying at-risk mothers and connecting them to treatment. With support from the David and Lucile […]
Medicaid Funding Opportunities in Support of Perinatal Regionalization Systems
/in Policy California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina Blogs CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health /by Alexandra KingPreterm birth, which accounts for approximately 11.5 percent of all births and 50 percent of pregnancy-related costs, is the largest cause of infant morbidity and mortality. This creates a significant burden on the U.S. healthcare system. A leading strategy for decreasing infant morbidity and mortality related to preterm birth is for states to use perinatal […]
Selected State Initiatives on Medicaid Financing of Perinatal Regionalization
/in Policy California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina Charts Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by Alexandra KingToday, nearly 40 states have a system of risk appropriate perinatal care. As the payer for nearly half of all births nationwide, Medicaid is a key partner in the financing of perinatal regionalization. Medicaid covers specific services that can maximize access to risk-appropriate care for mothers and infants, including the coverage of pre- and post-natal […]
A Labor of Love: State Policies and Partnerships to Lower Infant Mortality
/in Policy Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina Annual Conference, Blogs CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa Rair and Jill RosenthalState agencies across the country, from Medicaid to public health, to social services and corrections, are deeply engaged in multi-sector initiatives to reduce infant mortality. And for good reason — the United States ranks 25th among industrialized countries in infant mortality with a disproportionate number of being African Americans. Despite the gravity of the problem, […]
CHIP Coverage is Important for Pregnant Women Too
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by NASHP WritersWhile the importance of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for children has been widely documented, it is also important to remember that states can and many do use CHIP to provide coverage to low-and moderate-income pregnant women. With federal-funding for CHIP due to run out by the end of this federal fiscal year (September […]
Medicaid Incentives for Effective Contraceptive Use and Postpartum Care
/in Policy Colorado, Oregon Blogs, Reports Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by NASHP StaffUnplanned and complex births carry potentially avoidable health complications and costs to families and states. Broad healthcare payment and delivery reform is underway across the country to improve outcomes, enhance patient experience and reduce costs. Some states are capitalizing on these reforms to promote planned and healthy births by driving improvement in effective contraceptive use […]

For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
























































































































































Medicaid Reimbursement of Midwifery Services in Minnesota and Washington State Supports Diverse Pathways to Care
/in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Policy Minnesota, Washington Blogs, Featured News Home Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Anoosha Hasan and Emily Creveling