Illinois Lands $17 Million for ‘Whole Person’ Maternity Care

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services was selected to participate in a payment model designed to improve health outcomes for pregnant women insured by Medicaid
By Bruce Japsen

Illinois was selected to participate in a new model designed to support state Medicaid agencies in developing a “whole-person approach to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care” for poor Americans. The model is designed to address not only the healthcare needs of women and their babies, but the “physical, mental health, and social needs experienced during pregnancy,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in announcing the program, which will provide funding for more than 10 years.

The approach comes as government health programs and commercial insurers move beyond simply paying for traditional healthcare services including physicians, hospitalizations and prescription drugs to addressing social determinants of health whether they be housing needs to healthy foods.

“The goal of the model is to reduce disparities in access and treatment,” CMS said. “The model aims to improve outcomes and experiences for mothers and their newborns, while also reducing overall program expenditures.”

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