Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

Medicine Pushes For Expanding Medicaid Coverage to New Moms

 

Federal lawmakers must pass a bill that would allow states to provide 12 months postpartum coverage to mothers who lose Medicaid coverage two months after giving birth, and would provide a bump in Medicaid matching dollars for those states, medicine and others said in a letter this week.

Give New Mothers
a Fighting Chance  

Interested in Learning About Current Initiatives to Improve Maternal Health in Texas?

If you are curious about the science and data behind perinatal quality collaboratives and quality improvement initiatives, you may find these conference videos and materials of interest. The 2019 Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies Summit was held Jan. 29-30, 2019, at the AT&T Executive Conference Center in Austin. Mark your calendar: The collaborative has issued a “save the date” announcement for Feb. 27-28, 2020.

New Syphilis Testing Requirements During Pregnancy In Effect

 

As of Sept. 1, Texas physicians are required to test pregnant women for syphilis three times: at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester (no sooner than the 28th week), and at delivery. Previously, state law required testing at the first visit and during the third trimester.

Get the Details Here  

Maternal Health Problems in Central Texas Underscore Statewide Crisis

 

Central Texas has significant maternal health challenges, including the highest rate of maternal death among black women, in part because of barriers to health care coverage and because resources are underused, according to a report by the nonprofit Texans Care for Children.

The Report Calls for Four
Major Areas of Action  

Legislative Top 10: Lawmakers Take Steps to Keep Texas Mothers Alive

 

Today’s TMA Legislative News Hotline video looks at Senate Bill 750, which requires the state Health and Human Services Commission to expand the Healthy Texas Women program for new mothers beyond the current prevention services it provides. The bill awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.

Extend Women’s Medicaid Coverage to 12 Months Postpartum  

Want to know more about Healthy Texas Women and Family Planning in Texas?

This website includes the latest information from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on the program eligibility process, patient benefits, program fact sheets, and outreach materials for three programs:

• Healthy Texas Women, 
• Family Planning, and
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Services

What else, you ask? You will find the updated version of THE TEXAS Long-Acting Reversible Contraception TOOLKIT which provides information that physicians and their teams can use to increase LARC availability and addresses some common billing and reimbursement questions. Interested in helping identify and provide treatment for women with postpartum depression? The Texas Clinician’s Postpartum Depression Toolkit (Vol2) is available to put all of the pieces together – from screening tools and treatment to coding and billing for uninsured and underinsured women.

TMA House Sets "Zero Maternal Deaths" Goal

Along with his 8-point plan to improve maternal health in Texas, TMA Immediate Past President Carlos Cardenas, MD, won approval for his goal to eliminate maternal deaths in the state. “One maternal death is one too many,” he said.

How TMA Proposes to Make Sure it's Safe to be a Mom in Texas   

Does Texas Still Have a Maternal Health Crisis? You Bet It Does

 

According to a new DSHA report released this week, some people might think Texas' maternal health crisis isn't really a crisis at all. But physicians know better, saying maternal death and illness remain serious problems that need a lot of attention. "We're not excelling even with the new numbers."

Maternal Death and Illness Remains a Serious Problem  

TMA Maternal Health Congress

The Council on Science and Public Health and the Committee on Reproductive, Women’s, and Perinatal Health joined forces with the Council on Legislation, and the Select Committee on Medicaid, CHIP, and the Uninsured to convene the Maternal Health Congress on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at TMA. Recognizing the complex social, medical, economic, and public health issues associated with poor maternal health, TMA President Carlos J. Cardenas formed this physician-led congress to build a legislative platform on maternal health in time for the 86th legislative session. Invited TMA members and health care organizations began the day with presentations on key topics related to maternal health and then convened for a reference committee hearing on proposals to address maternal health.

Get Details Here  

Background

While maternal mortality is decreasing in most countries, maternal death rates in the U.S. have been increasing and Texas is recognized as having the highest maternal death rate in the country. Texas’ own study on maternal deaths indicates that Texas’ rates have nearly doubled in recent years. Some of the leading factors contributing to Texas’ maternal deaths include drug overdose, cardiac events, hypertension/eclampsia, and hemorrhage — factors that require the care and treatment of a physician and health care team. And with most maternal deaths occurring many months after childbirth, coordinated and comprehensive postpartum care provided by a physician is essential for the early identification and monitoring of health issues and complications that can develop post childbirth. Individual behavioral factors that put women at risk of maternal illness such as smoking, drug use, and obesity further complicate the care of the woman, and the need for comprehensive and timely community support and care even months after giving birth.  

Read the following TMA articles:

TMA’s Maternal Health Congress Turns Spotlight on Saving New Moms (Texas Medicine Today, March 27, 2018)

• A Disturbing Trend: Medicine Examines Causes for Spike in Texas' Maternal Mortality Rate (Texas Medicine, December 2016)

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Forum

 

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) invited physicians, health care professionals, and public health experts to review the recent findings of the state’s Maternal and Morbidity Task Force, and the current state initiatives to address maternal health and safety. Three workgroups will identify challenges and develop action plans to reduce maternal deaths and morbidity through the areas of systems of care, public health systems, and data.

Get the Details Here  

Texas Looks for Answers

The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force was created by Senate Bill 495, which passed during the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013. The multidisciplinary task force studies and reviews cases of pregnancy-related deaths and trends in severe maternal morbidity, and makes recommendations to help reduce the incidence of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity in Texas.

DSHS Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity task force report  

Legislation: Senate Bill 495, 83rd, 2013; Senate Bill 1599, 85th , 2017; Senate Bill 17 85th (1), 2017

DSHS Grand Rounds, Healthy Texas Babies: Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review, May 14

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Resources

• American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) – patient safety and quality improvement
• Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care – Patient Safety Bundles
• California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative
• Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative 
•  Every Mother Counts Collaborative
• Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina