Postpartum Care | Medicaid

Improving Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative

In January 2021, the Maternal and Infant Health Initiative (MIHI) launched the Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative which will offer technical assistance (TA) to states and their partners using two strategies: (1) a webinar series and (2) an affinity group. The webinar series includes presentations from experts in the field and by state Medicaid and CHIP programs on: strategies for states to improve the use of postpartum care for women at high risk of postpartum complications; access to postpartum contraceptive care; management of chronic diseases; improving the continuity of coverage for postpartum women; and implementing payment reform to incentivize changes in maternal health care practice. States interested in putting these strategies into practice in order to improve postpartum care have the opportunity to participate in an action-oriented affinity group that will support the design and implementation of a postpartum care quality improvement (QI) project in their state.

Webinar Series

All interested state Medicaid and CHIP programs, managed care plans, providers, state health departments, and other public health entities are encouraged to view the Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative webinar series materials.

Webinar #1: Maintaining Coverage and Access to Care During the Postpartum Period
January 27, 2021

After a brief introduction of CMCS’s Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative, the webinar described strategies to ensure coverage and access to care during the postpartum period for women at high risk of postpartum complications. Shannon Lovejoy and Jessica Stephens from CMCS described existing Medicaid and CHIP requirements for continuing coverage in the postpartum period including beyond 60 days after delivery. Tom Curtis from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services presented Michigan’s approach to reporting visit rates by race and ethnicity to monitor disparities in postpartum care visit attendance as a performance measure.

Maintaining Coverage and Access to Care During the Postpartum Period (audio) (transcript) (January 2021)

Webinar #2: Improving the Content of Care During the Postpartum Period
February 17, 2021

This webinar focused on the changing concept of postpartum care and the emphasis on risk reduction for maternal health, both in the immediate postpartum period and in the extended postpartum period up to one year after delivery. Beth Tinker and Judy Zerzan from the Washington State Health Care Authority and Cameual Wright from an Indiana Medicaid managed care plan presented best practices to improve postpartum care visit rates and the content of care including contraceptive care, management of chronic diseases, and social risks as well as opportunities for value-based care. Presenters highlighted the need to address risks in specific high-risk populations.

Improving the Content of Care During the Postpartum Period (audio) (transcript)

Webinar #3: Models of Women-Centered Care
March 11, 2021

This webinar focused on strategies for providing women-centered care for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries and offer state examples of how these models can improve postpartum care for women at high risk of postpartum complications and also eliminate disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Susan Beane and Rashi Kumar from a New York Medicaid managed care plan, Mary LeMieux from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, and Nathan Chomilo from the Minnesota Department of Human Services discussed the use of doulas , team-based care, group care, and community partnerships to improve care. The presenters also discussed payment strategies to support these care models.

Models of Women-Centered Care (audio) (transcript)

Improving Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative Affinity Group

States interested in improving postpartum care for women at high risk of postpartum complications will have the opportunity to participate in an action-oriented affinity group that will support the design and implementation of a postpartum care QI project in their state. By participating in the affinity group, states will have access to TA support as they identify and implement strategies to ensure women maintain health coverage beyond 60 days after delivery, identify models of care to improve outcomes for women at high risk of postpartum complications and increase access to postpartum contraceptive care. This opportunity is open to state Medicaid and CHIP agencies with a range of experience in developing strategies and approaches to improve postpartum care. State Medicaid and CHIP agencies are encouraged to include representatives from managed care plans, providers, health departments, and other public health entities as part of the state QI team.

Information Session Webinar: Postpartum Care Affinity Group Information and Expression of Interest Process
March 1, 2021

This webinar explained the goals of the PPC affinity group for states and reviewed the Expression of Interest form states needed to submit to participate. Technical assistance staff was available to answer questions about the PPC affinity group process.

Postpartum Care Affinity Group Information and Expression of Interest Process (audio) (transcript)

Questions?

Please contact the TA Mailbox at MACQualityImprovement@mathematica-mpr.com with any questions.

Postpartum Care Action Learning Series

The focus of the series from 2013-2014 was to build Medicaid/CHIP capacity for quality improvement by providing voluntary training and support for teams that wanted to get started or continue implementing a specific quality improvement (QI) project around maternal and infant health. Teams were guided in implementing rigorous QI projects designed to start producing results within a ten-month timeframe.

Materials from the series include: