Sen. Rubio, Colleagues Call for Increased Focus on Reducing Maternal Mortality in the U.S.
Specifically, they highlighted the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health in
The senators were also joined by Senators
The text of the letter is below.
Dear Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma:
From 2000 to 2014, the rate of maternal mortality, defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or during the one-year period following the date of the end of pregnancy, increased by 26 percent in
Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health are especially of concern.
The frustration and urgency over the high rate of maternal mortality is compounded by research determining that roughly 60 percent of maternal deaths in
With these challenges in mind, we ask that you respond to the questions below by
1. When controlling for health, socio-economic and other key factors such as the fact that individuals in Medicaid are often poorer, sicker, and more likely to suffer from the effects of health disparities, what is the rate of maternal and infant mortality for individuals covered by Medicaid and CHIP? Are there limitations or inconsistencies in this data? If so, how can data quality be ensured? If this data is unavailable, what are the barriers to collecting this data?
2. CMS has identified 13 maternal and perinatal health measures for voluntary reporting by state Medicaid and CHIP agencies. How many states are consistently reporting this data in 2018? How is this data being used to inform CMS guidance and policy development?
3. How many states have implemented a value-based payment approach and/or new maternal care delivery model (e.g. group prenatal care, maternity care homes, birth centers) to improve maternal and infant health outcomes? How have states used such payment approaches and models to track and improve the prevalence of poor maternal health outcomes, such as preeclampsia, cardiomyopathy, blood clots, hemorrhage, and depression, and associated risk factors? Have certain value-based payment approaches or care delivery models resulted in improvements in the rate of occurrence and treatment of these conditions?
4. While CMS has issued guidance allowing state Medicaid programs to reimburse for the services of nurse-midwives and other maternal health professionals, uptake of these services remains low. How do states and CMS evaluate the quality of prenatal and postnatal care provided by various types of health care providers?
5. Since 2000, what economic, social, and health policy factors may have contributed to the increase in maternal mortality rates?
6. What other initiatives are the
We thank you for your attention to these important matters and we look forward to working with you to ensure the health of all mothers and their newborn children.
Sincerely,
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