Partum Health’s Post

Interesting new research about access to midwifery care for people insured through Medi-Cal, learn more below!

🌟 Did you know? Nearly half of mothers interested in a VBAC were denied their choice and forced into a repeat cesarean due to hospital policies or care provider restrictions. 🚫💔 It's crucial to advocate for your birth preferences and find medical providers who align with your goals and values. 💪💬 Consider incorporating the invaluable support of midwives and doulas, who can advocate for your birthing plan and provide continuous guidance and empowerment throughout your journey. 🌱💖 Remember, your voice matters—empower yourself with knowledge and supportive care for the birth experience you deserve! #VBAC #VBACSuccess #VBACWithoutFear #VBACAwareness #BirthOptions #VBACJourney #BirthWithoutFear #VBACSuccess #CesareanAwareness #InformedChoice #VBACSupport #NaturalBirth #BirthEducation #MaternalHealth #VBACCommunity #BirthFreedom #HealthyPregnancy #PregnancyChoices #BirthAdvocacy #MidwiferyCare #VBACResources #OptimalBirth #VBACPreparation #TrustYourBody #GentleBirth #VBACMom #MotherhoodUnfiltered #BirthKnowledge #EvidenceBasedBirth #VBACStories

👉Texas Birth Center Alert - Compliance Matters👈 Grow Midwives continues to raise awareness about the responsibility of midwives to understand how services they provide are billed to payers. Accountability receiving Medicaid/Medicare funds is now being prioritized with increased federal and state funds to uncover abuse rising year/year nationwide. The OIG and DOJ responsibility is to combat fraud, waste and abuse and maternity care billing is becoming a target. In a quick morning search Texas oversight plans appeared as perfect example. BACKGROUND: As of October 2024 there are over 90 free standing birth centers in TX, more than any other state in the nation. All are required to be licensed by the TX Dept of Health. Only 4 are accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation for Birth Centers (CABC). CABC offers a voluntary process that distinguishes the highest level of accountability, quality, and safety in clinical services and administrative oversight. Many commercial and federal payers across the country require CABC accreditation to receive facility reimbursement. https://lnkd.in/gi2G-NzG 👉Why is this important? Texas Birth Centers are projected to be ‘on the list’ of 2025 Texas state-wide auditing if they provide and bill for Medicaid services. It is the responsibility of every licensed healthcare provider rendering medical care to be assured that billing associated with care is submitted properly and without risk for fraud, waste or abuse. Get ready. We must take on this issue as midwives, to be business smart and legally compliant! https://lnkd.in/gvwqaX6h #GrowMidwives #HeretoHelp #scalingupandsustainingmidwifery

I finally got around to reading the Commonwealth Fund’s June brief, “Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison.” One small nugget in the report focused on the role of midwives. I have long heard that midwifery-led care provides equal or better care outcomes for typical or low risk pregnancies. It’s therefore telling that the U.S. (along with Canada and Korea) has a greater number of ob-gyns than midwives, while most other countries have those numbers reversed. Three cheers to Massachusetts for developing a sweeping maternal mental health bill that will create a pathway for midwives to obtain licenses and require Massachusetts's Medicaid plan, MassHealth, to cover midwifery services in any care setting (and so much more meaningful support for perinatal individuals and families). Advanced thank you to Mass Gov. Maura Healey who confirmed her intention to sign this bill into law soon. I’d love to hear about...... 1) Personal experiences with midwives 2) Provider/payer perspectives on steering low risk care to midwives 3) Policy makers/educators thinking on growing the midwifery workforce in terms of numbers, scope of practice, reimbursement rates, etc. #maternity #MaternalMentalHealth #pregnancy #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthProfessionals #perinatalhealth #healthtech #healthinnovation #bettertogether

On the final day of #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, we're focused on concrete policy change to protect the rights of Black Mamas in the US and to end the unacceptable disparities in birth outcomes that endanger the lives of our Black community members every day. ➡️Post-partum Medicaid extension: The Center is working closely with national partners and federal policymakers to secure mandatory extension of coverage in all states, helping postpartum folks access the critical care they need. ➡️Insurance coverage for doula care: We're fighting for policy reform to include doula care coverage under public insurance, so people with low income can access the crucial care doulas offer and reap the health benefits. ➡️Defending midwifery care: We're fighting to protect the rights of midwives across the US as they provide the lifesaving care they’ve been trained to give, and the rights of pregnant folks who want access to that crucial care. We just launched a groundbreaking new lawsuit challenging Hawai’i’s Midwifery Restriction Law, which uses arbitrary criteria to determine who is considered sufficiently trained and licensed to practice midwifery and discriminates against Native Hawaiian traditional midwives. ➡️Supporting Maternal Mortality Review Committees: The Center serves on an MMRC and helps analyze the factors that led to tragic maternal deaths, in order to help identify and implement lifesaving policy changes to protect our communities. Are you ready to get off the sidelines and join the movement? Get involved today: https://bit.ly/3w7wJMO

Want to build capacity in your midwifery practice to mobilize political support? Check out these five tips from Hawthorne Midwives on how they navigated #campaigning and #advocacy for #midwifery. #midwives #reproductivehealth

"Reducing Low-Risk C-Sections: A Path Forward": Low-risk cesarean rates are highest in the Northeast and Deep South, but research shows that care from midwives and deliveries at freestanding birth centers can help bring these rates down. 🔹 Alaska leads the nation with the most midwife-attended births, despite ranking lower in other maternal health areas. 🔹 Regions with higher Medicare spending tend to have more low-risk C-sections, while hospitals that foster a “culture of care” supporting vaginal births report fewer of these procedures. 🔹 National efforts like Healthy People 2030 and state-level initiatives have successfully reduced C-section rates, promoting safer deliveries. Prioritizing midwifery care and supporting vaginal births can help improve maternal outcomes nationwide! Follow us to learn more. #MaternalHealth #CSection #HealthyBirth #Midwifery #BirthCenters #HealthCareQuality Every Mother Counts Maven Clinic Center for Reproductive Rights The Commonwealth Fund

There is a lot of conversation about perinatal health disparities and equity, yet there is something we haven’t tried: leveraging the power and potential of midwives to make a difference. Policies are needed to advance midwifery care and ensure: ✅ Equitable Medicaid reimbursement for all credentialed midwives (CPM, CNM) in all settings -hospital, birth center and home. ✅ Birth center licensing and reimbursement that aligns with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act ✅ Doula reimbursement policies must be updated to include birth centers and home birth. Visit https://ow.ly/mGpu50QqvO4 to learn how to get your voice heard. It's as easy as copy & paste! #MidwiferyLedCare #MidwivesMakeADifference #BirthDetroit

ACNM Advocacy in action! CEO Michelle Munroe spoke last week to the Georgia House Democratic Caucus in a special hearing on the maternal health crisis. The message? Midwifery care is the solution. Michelle discussed the barriers to midwifery care in the state, including full practice authority, the lack of Medicaid expansion in Georgia, the Certificate of Need process, and the lack of OB providers, with over 50% of counties without services and Medicaid reimbursement. Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/dpPWgqCv Do you have a passion for advocacy? Make 2024 your year to get involved and make a difference in your state's healthcare future. Get started by getting informed about the announcement from the CMS regarding the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model. Every state Medicaid office is eligible to apply for this opportunity, and more information is being released constantly. Read more at https://lnkd.in/dymFsPDN

REFLECTIONS from the NY Times Archives circa 2013~ My morning search for provocative topics pops up a NYT article from 2013. It was a profound wake up as this was the year I became President of the ACNM. https://lnkd.in/gzHjbag3 In 11 years: 👉There has been no significant change around midwifery reimbursement. In some state Medicaid and commercial plans, reimbursement rates have actually lowered as doula rates have surpassed midwifery care provider fees. *As of Jan 1, 24 in CA Doulas will receive $3000 for attending births and prenatal/postpartum visits. https://lnkd.in/gVnagJR9 👉Midwives did not attend 15% of births in 2013, we finally reached 12% in 2021. https://lnkd.in/gcWfRwsN 👉CMS along with many federal, state, and commercial plans do not cover CMs and CPMs for maternity care services. https://lnkd.in/g3Y9VDHM 👉Midwives continue to serve as ‘physician-extenders’ where the billing provider (physician) is coded for reimbursement opposed to the rendering provider (midwife) reimbursed at lesser rate. 👉Mt Sinai/Roosevelt Birth Center, the only Birth Center in Manhattan, closed Jan 1, 2019. https://lnkd.in/gzEP4guu Most freestanding birth centers across the country are barely breaking even as reimbursement does not sufficiently cover the facility or provider costs of care. Many Birth Centers only accept cash pay due to payer plans restrictive contracts. So what are my conclusions 11 years later? As the tidal wave of conversations grow we continue to observe the perfect storm of rising maternal deaths, provider shortages, and paddling thru debates over decades of evidence, maybe — just maybe we can shift our mindset to believe in John F. Kennedy’s aphorism, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” And NOT WAIT ANOTHER 10 YEARS to do what we know works. #GrowMidwives