Medicaid: Transforming Maternal Health
What to know
Wisconsin Medicaid covers four out of every 10 births in the state. Supporting health before, during, and after pregnancy is important. That’s why the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) will implement the Transforming Maternal Health Model: to improve the health of Medicaid members when they are pregnant through their postpartum period.
About the model
Wisconsin is one of 15 states to receive multi-year funding from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to transform the maternal health care experience. The goals are to:
- Improve experience of care for pregnant and postpartum mothers.
- Avoid preventable injury or death during or after pregnancy.
- Increase access to midwifery services.
We will achieve these goals by:
- Working with providers to improve whole person care delivery.
- Increasing access to maternal health facilities and providers.
- Raising standards for quality care and patient safety.
This funding will allow DHS to implement the maternal health model in the northwestern and western regions of the state as well as Milwaukee County. These areas comprise rural, small town, and urban populations, as well as Tribal nations. This regional approach will allow us to identify a wide range of health care challenges and opportunities to build a system that improves care for all Wisconsinites.
Acknowledgement
The Transforming Maternal Health Initiative is supported by CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $16.5 million over 10 years, with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. These contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. government.
Timeline
- January 2025–December 2027: policy analysis and plan design
- January 2028–December 2034: implementation
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Resources
Learn more about the Transforming Maternal Health model.