Closing Gaps in Maternal Mental Healthcare
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health is a national think tank, nonprofit organization advancing policies that support a health care system that routinely detects and treats maternal mental health disorders for every mother, every time.
On February 8, the Policy Center team submitted the following letter to the Maternal Mental Health Task Force in response to the Task Force’s “Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions from the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health,” which over 50 national and regional organizations signed on to.
Read MoreIn this letter to the Paid Parental Leave Congressional Working Group, we, along with other national mental health organizations, urge the working group to develop legislation that supports mothers during pregnancy and postpartum period allowing for time off during pregnancy as needed to attend medical appointments and a minimum of 8 weeks of paid leave in the postpartum period to heal and care for their infants.
Read MoreOn Jan 25, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson, joined by Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL), co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, launched a year-long Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative.
Read MoreOn January 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced a new model to test approaches for addressing behavioral and physical health in a bi-directional way: The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model which will be piloted in 8 states.
Read MoreThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on January 17, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing commitment to increasing health data exchange and strengthening access to care, (CMS) finalized the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F). The rule sets requirements for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) fee-for-service (FFS) programs, Medicaid managed care plans among other CMS regulated plans.
Read MoreIn December, the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced a new framework for supporting improved maternal healthcare delivery for Medicaid enrollees referred to as the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model.
Read MoreGiven the Policy Center’s focus on improving maternal mental health (MMH) detection and treatment rates, we believe it’s critical that obstetric care providers (Ob/Gyns, midwives, and family practice doctors) are reimbursed for their time providing maternal mental health care. Currently, most obstetric care providers are not reimbursed for their time as many are when paid through a global maternity care bundled rate. This letter calls on CMS to provide guidance to state Medicaid agencies on the need to address reimbursement starting in pregnancy and through 12 months postpartum.
Read MoreIn recent years, mental health has emerged as a global public health priority and a matter of fundamental human rights. Many countries are recognizing the need to adopt or reform their mental health-related legislation. However, existing laws often fall short in addressing discrimination and human rights violations, particularly within mental health care settings. In response to this pressing issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have collaborated to develop a comprehensive publication titled “Mental Health, Human Rights, and Legislation: Guidance and Practice.”
Read MoreIn a move to address the alarming maternal health crisis in the United States, the Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled the 'Birthing-Friendly' designation on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare online tool. This user-friendly tool aims to empower expectant parents by helping them identify hospitals and health systems committed to providing high-quality maternity care.
Read MoreIn October 2023, the Federal Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the release of millions of dollars of investments into maternal health care. This included announcing the second round of funding for state maternal mental health programs. This funding was made possible through the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act, which was passed in 2017 (and led by the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health, a prior project of the Policy Centers).
Read MoreOn July 25th, 2023, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury announced proposed rules to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. We have been honored to be a part of shaping these rules with the Department of Labor and The Kennedy Forum over the past several years. This week the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health submitted the following letter in response to the proposed rules.
Read MoreAs part of the Federal government’s efforts to address maternal mental health in America, the Office of Women’s Health has developed an awareness campaign - starting with postpartum depression. The Policy Center is partnering with HHS on further addressing the range of maternal mental health disorders (MMH), detection in pregnancy, and incorporating the universal symbol of MMH, the blue dot, into future materials.
Read MoreIt’s an exciting time for maternal mental health for a number of reasons - and at the Policy Center, we are particularly excited to report that the new Federal Task Force on Maternal Mental Health launched on September 27.
Read MoreThe Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health submitted the following letter in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Proposed Physician Fee Schedule regarding peer support, community health workers, and social determinants of health, gleaning insights from our partners at Mental Health America and the American Association on Health and Disability.
Read MoreIn August 2023, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) published a postpartum toolkit for State Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Agencies titled Increasing Access, Quality, and Equity in Postpartum Care in Medicaid and CHIP. The toolkit addresses postpartum depression; however, we point out opportunities CMS missed, including addressing the role of the obstetric provider.
Read MoreAugust 11th, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a proposed rule for employers implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which addresses maternal mental health. The PWFA “prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.” The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health submitted the following letter in response to the proposed rule for employers implementing the PWFA.
Read MoreMedicaid utilizes the “Child and Adult Core Sets,” a set of quality measures, to measure the access and quality of care and to improve the quality of healthcare. Mathematica convenes the Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup (“Workgroup”) to review and make recommendations for stronger measures. Joy Burkhard, our Executive Director, is a member of the Workgroup. This year’s Workgroup reviewed the 2025 Child and Adult Core Sets.
Read MoreOn July 25th, 2023, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury announced proposed rules to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. We have been honored to be a part of shaping these rules with the Department of Labor and The Kennedy Forum over the past several years and will be submitting a comment letter with our feedback on the rules soon.
Our work shaping and reporting on national mental health policy is made possible through a 2020-2023 capacity grant from the Perigee Fund.
Read MoreThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires private health plans and issuers of health insurance to cover the full range of birth control methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without cost-sharing. Although the contraceptive requirements in the ACA have expanded access to contraceptive products for millions of Americans, public reporting shows that people are still experiencing barriers to accessing full-range, FDA-approved contraception without cost-sharing.
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