Issue Briefs | Feb 16, 2024

Maternal Health Providers: Enhancing Health Equity Through Payment Parity

Rebecca Lopez, State Health and Value Strategies; Harley Webley and Katherine Villeda, Health Equity Solutions

As the maternal mortality crisis in the United States continues to worsen, one strategy state policymakers are leveraging to expand the maternal health workforce and increase access to quality maternity care is Medicaid coverage of midwives and doulas. This issue brief spotlights the opportunity to enhance health equity in maternity care through payment. The issue brief discusses the landscape of Medicaid reimbursement trends for midwifery and doula coverage and recommends strategies to enhance access to a diversity of maternal care providers through equitable reimbursement.


Expert Perspectives

January 7, 2025

Release of New E&E Guidance Related to Renewal Forms and Medicaid/Separate CHIP Transitions

Following the November release of guidance to support states’ efforts to verify eligibility and conduct renewals in compliance with federal Medicaid and CHIP requirements, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued on December 20 two additional Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletins (CIBs). This expert perspective summarizes the requirements outlined in the CIBs.

New CMS Guidance on Compliance Requirements for Provision of Medicaid/CHIP Services to Incarcerated Youth

On December 19, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released State Health Official (SHO) letter 24-006, “Provision of Medicaid and CHIP Services to Incarcerated Youth – FAQs,” which provides several clarifications for states on compliance expectations for implementing section 5121 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This expert perspective describes key clarifications addressed in the SHO letter.