The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health issued a Request for Information (RFI), seeking public comments about how to improve access, quality, and outcomes before, during and after pregnancy and birth.
CMS will use responses to the RFI to inform discussions among stakeholders and future work by CMS “to develop and refine programs and policies that ensure rural women have access to high-quality maternal healthcare that results in optimal health outcomes,” CMS officials said in an announcement about the RFI.
CMS notes that approximately 700 women die each year in the United States due to complications of pregnancy or delivery, and that rates of maternal morbidity and mortality are higher among women living in rural areas than among their counterparts in urban areas.
During their first trimester, pregnant women living in rural areas also are less likely to access prenatal services than their urban and suburban counterparts, CMS said.
CMS also cites research demonstrating “that racial and ethnic minority women, including those residing in tribal communities, face even greater challenges accessing healthcare services than rural non-Hispanic whites, and studies indicate they are less likely to receive the care they need before, during and after pregnancy.”
Specifically, CMS seeks information about topics such as: clinical quality improvement efforts; innovative payment and delivery models; increasing capacity of rural emergency medical services and emergency departments to handle obstetric and pediatric emergencies; measuring and monitoring maternal and infant health outcomes; addressing social determinants of health; reducing regulatory barriers; improving mental health outcomes before, during and after pregnancy; eliminating ethnic and racial disparities, particularly in tribal communities; and developing state partnerships and collaboratives.
CMS will collect comments from Wednesday, February 12, through Sunday, April 12, at 11:59pm ET.
