CMS holds maternal health meeting

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week held a meeting on maternal health. Attendees discussed key actions to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum individuals, including the need for a robust and diverse maternity care workforce and the ability for people to identify easily health systems engaged in improving maternal care. The agency unveiled the logo for the Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation, which CMS will post on its Care Compare website and on participating health plans websites to indicate which facilities have received the designation. More than 25 health plans have agreed to display the Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation on their provider directories when the designation goes live next fall. The Department of Health and Human Service also released a report reviewing the evidence on the effects of doula care on maternal health outcomes, and discusses challenges and policy opportunities for expanding doula care. (CMS news release, 12/13/22)