10 Jan Using Managed Care Organization Contracts as a Lever to Address Health Equity in Maternity Care

The Maternal Health Hub, run by the Health Care Transformation Task Force and supported by the Commonwealth Fund, released an issue brief titled “Using Managed Care Organization Contracts as a Lever to Address Health Equity in Maternity Care” which describes innovative ways states are using the Medicaid Managed Care contracting process to address health equity overall, including to improve equity and close gaps in outcomes for maternity care.  

The brief highlights efforts undertaken by Michigan, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota to leverage the MCO contracting process to push for inclusion of community voices in developing programs and policies, implementation of and investment in antiracist practices, and engagement in actions to reduce inequities in maternity care. 

The brief also shares additional ways in which states could drive Medicaid support for the community-based model of maternity care, to create sustainable funding that improves access to doulas, midwives, and free-standing birth centers.  

Read the Issue Brief Here

The Maternal Health Hub (the Hub), run by the Health Care Transformation Task Force and supported by the Commonwealth Fund, leads a monthly Learning Community webinar series to identify and share learnings on essential components of equitable payment approaches that improve maternity care outcomes and lowers costs. As part of this series, the Hub invited representatives from several states to speak on their use of the MCO contracting process to proactively embed health equity into maternity care. The findings from these meetings, as well as from a literature search, serve as a basis for this resource.  

To learn more about the Maternal Health Hub, and to join its learning community, please go to www.maternalhealthhub.org.