Perinatal health is an essential component to ensuring mothers and birthing parents are healthy, and their children have the best start possible in life. Research has shown us that healthy moms are more likely to raise healthy babies. Prenatal and postpartum health care is vital to ensuring we are giving our youngest children opportunities to succeed. Unfortunately, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries and disparities exist in the ability to access health care for women of color. Thriving PA is working to ensure all women and birthing parents have access to the health resources they need to give birth to and to raise their children.
Policy Priorities
- Extend access to postpartum coverage for mothers enrolled in Medicaid beyond the current 60-day period to 12 months.
- Advance behavioral health prenatal and postpartum screenings that include evidenced-based depression screenings with anxiety questions and behavioral screenings, including substance use screenings.
- Increase the coordination of services for pregnant and postpartum mothers who were screened and identified with depression or other behavioral health diagnoses to ensure they receive needed services.
- Advance doula service reimbursement in Medicaid.