The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a plan to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for people during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. The agency also invited health care stakeholders to share best practices and commitments to strengthen maternal health.

In addition, CMS yesterday approved state plan amendments allowing Connecticut, Kansas and Massachusetts to extend postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months after pregnancy for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollees under the American Rescue Plan Act. The agency said it continues to work with other states that have submitted extension proposals, including Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The Department of Health and Human Services also announced $1.5 million in funding to reduce maternal deaths due to substance use disorder, as well as other funding opportunities related to maternal health.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
“A recent article in the Wall Street Journal wants you to believe that many of our nation’s emergency departments are incapable of caring for children,” writes…
Blog
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal wants you to believe that many of our nation’s emergency departments are incapable of caring for children. As a…
Headline
The director and nurse manager for pediatric emergency mental health services at UMass Memorial Health in Massachusetts share how the health system is helping…
Headline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sept. 22 recommended the first maternal vaccine to protect newborns from severe illness from respiratory…
Headline
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today voted 14-7 to advance as amended to the full Senate the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health…
Headline
The U.S. infant mortality rate was essentially unchanged in 2021, but the number of deaths rose 2% to 19,928, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…