Op-Ed: To protect LI mothers, fully funding the Medicaid Quality Incentive Program is essential

At least 700 women in the United States die every year from pregnancy-related causes. That number represents 700 mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends lost too soon. In New York, maternal mortality rates for Black women from 2018 to 2020 were nearly five times higher than for white women. On Long Island, we see gaps in care disproportionately affecting lower-income families and communities of color.

It is a call to action for all of us.

As a legislator and a proud representative of Elmont, I know we cannot allow these issues to continue unchecked. We don't yet have all the answers on how to resolve these long-standing challenges, but we have clear signals that some programs are making a difference. My goal is to make sure that we continue to prioritize the programs that are getting results.

One example is the Medicaid Managed Care Quality Incentive Program (QIP). This program incentivizes Medicaid plans and health care providers to work together to prioritize proactive, high-quality services like timely prenatal care, postpartum checkups, and other critical physical and behavioral health screenings.

In too many parts of Long Island, particularly in lower-income and historically underserved neighborhoods, it is too hard to have a healthy pregnancy. Women who are living with chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes before they get pregnant are at higher risk for complications when they get pregnant. Hospitals and clinics in these areas often operate on razor-thin margins. Medicaid QIP funding enables high-quality providers to expand access to essential services, like staying open in the evenings and on weekends. For working families, mothers juggling childcare responsibilities, and people facing transportation challenges, expanding access hours can make all the difference. Fully funding QIP is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure every mother and baby in New York has access to the care they need and deserve.

Since the Medicaid QIP was introduced 25 years ago, the quality gap between Medicaid and commercial health insurance enrollees has steadily narrowed. This progress is not a coincidence. QIP's emphasis on evidence-based, proactive care ensures that providers can identify and address conditions like gestational diabetes and hypertension early— conditions that are leading contributors to pregnancy-related complications. Preventive measures like these reduce costly emergency interventions and, most importantly, can save lives.

Yet, despite its proven success, funding for the Medicaid QIP has been cut over the years. The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus, which I chair, is calling for increased Medicaid QIP funding in the 2025 People's Budget. We believe it is essential to guarantee sustainable funding for this program and safeguard the health outcomes of underserved populations. Consistent program underfunding risks eroding progress to date, leaving our communities — including mothers and babies on Long Island — at greater risk.

This is not just a policy debate — it is a matter of moral responsibility. We must protect the health of families across New York, so that that every mother has access to the care she needs to have a safe and healthy pregnancy, regardless of her income or zip code.

I urge Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the Legislature to fully fund QIP in the FY 2026 State Budget and to codify it in statute. By protecting this program, we can continue closing the gaps in maternal health outcomes, reduce preventable deaths, and build a future where every mother and baby in New York can thrive. Let us show that we are a state that values every New Yorker and stands by our commitment to high-quality health care. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

New York State Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages represents Assembly District 22 and is Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus.