KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, is working to transform Kansas maternity care deserts into an oasis with the help of a federal grant. The Transforming Maternal Health grant aims to provide 10 years of support and $17 million to 15 states, including Kansas. Melissa Warfield, director of Medicaid policy and research at KanCare, sees this as a unique opportunity to improve maternal health in the state.
Kansas currently has over 45% of counties classified as maternal health care deserts, and the goal of the grant is to address this issue by expanding the midwifery workforce and improving KanCare reimbursement structures. The grant aims to reduce low-risk cesarean sections, severe maternal mortality, low birth weight, and Medicaid expenditures, while improving overall perinatal outcomes.
The grant would assess the current midwife capacity in the state and explore options to include additional levels of midwife licensure. Kendra Wyatt, co-founder and CEO of New Birth Co., advocates for a hub-and-spoke model to improve access to maternal care. Wyatt believes that offering natural childbirth options at local facilities can help alleviate maternal health shortages in rural areas.
The grant also aims to transition to reimbursing for outcomes rather than services and licensure levels, rewarding providers who have healthy outcomes. The goal is to make Kansas a leading state in innovative payment structures for maternal care. The grant application is due in September, with implementation expected to begin in early 2025. The program could benefit not just Medicaid recipients, but all community members in need of improved maternal care.
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