Portman, Stabenow Introduce HEALTH for MOM Act to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes for Pregnant Women

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Harnessing Effective and Appropriate Long Term Health for Moms on Medicaid (HEALTH for MOM) Act -- legislation designed to improve maternal health outcomes among pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid by providing a state option for providers to enroll in a "pregnancy medical home," a team of health care professionals operating for the purposes of providing the participating woman with coordinated care services.

Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist among maternal mortality rates in the United States with rates (per 100,00 live births) ranging from 37.1 deaths for non-Hispanic Black women, 14.7 deaths for non-Hispanic white women, and 11.8 deaths for Hispanic women. Pregnancy medical homes have a track record of improving access to care for pregnant women throughout pregnancy and of reducing adverse events like hospitalizations for pregnant women and neonatal complications, and the HEALTH for MOM Act would help standardize the means for Medicaid to pay for and support such models.

"Every year, nearly 700 women die in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications with a majority of those deaths disproportionately affecting women of color. This is unacceptable," said Senator Portman. "Our legislation will work to address this devastating issue by providing expectant mothers with the option to enroll in a pregnancy medical home where they can be taken care of by a team of health care professionals."

"Quality health care during pregnancy is critical to both moms and babies, and directly impacts the future well-being of children. It is unconscionable that the United States has some of the most cutting-edge and innovative health care in the world, yet so many mothers, particularly women of color, die or suffer serious complications during childbirth. Our bill will help close this gap in care and services," said Senator Stabenow.

"We know that access to care before, during and after pregnancy is critical to improving maternal health outcomes," said J. Martin Tucker, MD, FACOG, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). "The HEALTH for MOM Act of 2021 supports the establishment of medical homes for pregnant women covered by Medicaid, enabling them to receive wraparound, social services during pregnancy and postpartum. This could make a significant impact for patients, particularly for those at risk for mental health conditions and substance use disorders, which have led to an increasing number of deaths. ACOG is proud to endorse the HEALTH for MOM Act and its aim of enhancing coordination and collaboration among health care professionals in an effort to address the nation's maternal health crisis. We thank Senators Portman and Stabenow for their leadership in reintroducing this important legislation."

Through the HEALTH for MOM Act, the pregnancy medical homes would:

Coordinate access to necessary maternity care services and programs through the development of a comprehensive, patient-centered care plan to connect participating women with necessary maternity care services and programs, including ongoing home care, community-based primary care, inpatient care, social support services, and local hospital emergency care;
Provide for the prevention and treatment of mental health or substance use among pregnant women;
Work with other federal social services, including the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program and Title X, to connect enrolled women with social and support services to address the social determinants of health that may impact overall wellness;
Collect and report information related to the care of Medicaid beneficiaries participating in this model to help fill in the gaps on maternal mortality data. Such information would be reported to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on a yearly basis.

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