Maternal & Early Childhood Health
House Budget Proposal Seeks to Eliminate Healthy Start, a Proven Program to Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality
By Kay Johnson For more than 30 years, the federal Healthy Start program has been investing in community-based solutions to reduce maternal and infant mortality in communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the U.S. national average. At a time when many are rightly calling for more community and family engagement to reduce […]
A Look at Maternal Health Legislation in the 118th Congress
By: Tanesha Mondestin and Kay Johnson Maternal health continues to be a priority for many Members of Congress. We previously scanned maternal health legislation that Members of Congress may consider in the 2022 “Lame Duck” session. We revisited this topic this election year to consider proposals pending in the 118th Congress as their chance of […]
Congressional Appropriations Proposals Cut Maternal Health Investments
By: Elisabeth Wright Burak, Kay Johnson, and Tanesha Mondestin In 2022, the maternal mortality rate for 2022 decreased to 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 32.9 in 2022. Black and Indigenous mothers have maternal mortality rates much higher than other racial/ethnic groups. And beyond the narrower category of maternal mortality […]
Urban Institute Report on Parent Health Coverage Finds Mothers of Young Children Showed Greatest Gains
Last month, the Urban Institute released a report detailing uninsurance rates between 2019 and 2022 for families with young children (under age 3). The report revealed significant drops—for the children, for fathers, and most significantly, for mothers. There were multiple factors contributing to these rises in coverage rates—pandemic-era continuous enrollment policies such as the Families […]
Massachusetts Governor Signs a Maternal Health Bill Expanding Access to Midwifery, Birth Centers and Doulas
On August 23rd, Governor Maura Healy of Massachusetts signed an act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options into law. This comprehensive maternal health bill focused on expanding midwifery coverage to include certified professional midwives (CPMs), birth centers, doulas, and screening and treatment options for postpartum depression. MassHealth is Massachusetts Medicaid and CHIP […]
CMS Issues Guidance to States on Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Requirements
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released much-anticipated guidance on Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements. For those who don’t live in Medicaid jargon land, EPSDT is the pediatric benefit in Medicaid and establishes a higher standard for children than adults covered by Medicaid. Most, but not all, […]