Maternal health committee recommends changes

(The Center Square) – An Arkansas committee is recommending Medicaid reimbursement for doulas and community health workers as part of a strategic plan to improve the state's maternal health.

The Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health is also drafting a proposal request for a media campaign with the goal of increasing prenatal care incidences, according to the 10-page report released Thursday.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders created the committee by executive order in March. Nearly 1,100 women wait until they are in labor to see a doctor, which is almost one out of every 32 pregnancies, the governor said in the order.

The state's infant mortality rate for 2022 was 7.67%, one of the highest in the country, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the highest in the country. Two-hundred and seventy-two infants died before their first birthday, according to the statistics.

Medicare funds 50% to 60% of the pregnancies in the state, the committee said in the report.

Reviews of Medicaid processes were reviewed in the five pilot counties, Polk, Scott, Garland, Crittenden and Philips, according to the report.

One proposal would establish a maternal health home or expand Life360, which is part of the ARHomes Medicaid expansion program.

Other recommendations include removing transportation barriers for pregnant women and mothers and increasing telehealth usage.

The process of applying for a Transforming Maternal Health Model Grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has started. The deadline to apply is Sept. 20.

The grant could be up to $17 million for the next 10 years, according to Gavin Lesnick, chief of the Office of Communications and Community Engagement for the Department of Human Services.

"The Committee’s job was to bring together diverse stakeholders from all around the state to focus on the actions we all agree will improve maternal health," Lesnick said in an email to The Center Square. "Now that we’ve submitted our recommendations, we will work with state leaders to turn these ideas into actions. As we progress through this phase, we will determine more information on the potential costs tied to these changes."

The committee, which included more than 100 stakeholders, met more than 20 times in six months, according to a news release from Sanders' office.

“We will act on these changes as quickly as possible because we know they have the potential to improve the health of countless women and babies, and to save lives," said Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam.