LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act to improve maternal health in Arkansas. Senator Missy Irvin (District 24) and Representative Aaron Pilkington (District 45) are the lead cosponsors of the bill.
“I’m a mom, so I know how important maternal healthcare is to helping healthy moms have healthy babies, which is why my administration has been focused on building a comprehensive, coordinated approach to maternal health in Arkansas,” said Governor Sanders. “Along with the actions we have taken since I took office, the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act will make real, lasting change to Arkansas’ maternal health landscape and move the needle on this critical issue facing our state.”
“Arkansas mothers and babies are our first priority. Today’s announcement and subsequent legislation is intentional, targeted and smart. It is designed to help our mothers be healthier so they can deliver healthier babies. Unbundling and increasing payments for prenatal, delivery and postpartum care is necessary, way past due and will make a huge impact in stabilizing our healthcare access for expecting mothers,” said Senator Missy Irvin. “I look forward to presenting this plan of action to prioritize and improve maternal health in Arkansas. I applaud the excellent work of our Governor, Secretary Putnam, our teams at DHS and the Governor’s office.”
“The Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act strengthens maternal care in Arkansas by unbundling the global payment, increasing provider reimbursements, and expanding access to telemedicine. This bill also improves pregnancy outcomes by empowering community health workers and ensuring Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers,” said Representative Aaron Pilkington.
The legislation includes several reforms recommended by the Governor’s Strategic Committee on Maternal Health, which she formed last year. It establishes Presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women, meaning pregnant women can receive prenatal care while they complete their Medicaid application. It offers reimbursement pathways for doulas and community health workers. And it establishes pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage for remote ultrasounds, remote blood pressure monitoring, and continuous glucose monitoring. These reforms will result in an additional $7.44 million investment in Arkansas moms.
Additionally, the legislation unbundles Medicaid payments for pregnancy care, paying for up to 14 prenatal and postnatal care visits, encouraging providers to work with pregnant women so they attend more appointments, and increasing Medicaid’s investment in pregnant women by $12.2 million. The Governor also announced that Medicaid will increase reimbursements for traditional deliveries and c-sections by 70%, investing an additional $25.7 million in care for pregnant women and encouraging more providers to participate in the Medicaid program, increasing access to care.
Funding for these investments is facilitated by the $13 million commitment the Governor made to maternal health in her budget. That investment allows the state to access additional federal Medicaid funding.
“Since the Strategic Committee on Maternal Health met and submitted our report, a number of important initiatives and programs have been started or improved upon,” said Dr. Kay Chandler, Arkansas Surgeon General. “It is exciting to continue this work and see these policy recommendations become reality. They will make important, positive impacts on the health of Arkansas moms and babies for years to come.”
“The changes included in the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act will go a long way toward ensuring women’s access to essential care before, during, and after pregnancy,” said Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam. “I am grateful for the leadership from Governor Sanders, the Legislature, and our many stakeholder partners who have all worked collaboratively on improving our maternal health system and supports. I’m excited to see how these changes will improve the health of pregnant women, new moms, and babies across our state.”
“The Arkansas Department of Health is privileged to see maternity patients in our Local Health Units every day, and we have seen first hand what these policy changes will mean for patients and providers in communities across the state,” said Renee Mallory, Arkansas Secretary of Health.“We look forward to continuing our efforts with our partners to improve maternal health in Arkansas.”
“Medicaid covers approximately half of all births in Arkansas, so investing in changes that expand and improve maternal care within the Medicaid program will have profoundly positive impacts on our state,” said Arkansas Department of Human Services Deputy Secretary for Programs and State Medicaid Director Janet Mann. “These reforms directly align with the recommendations from the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, and we look forward to making them a reality.”
Governor Sanders established the Strategic Committee on Maternal Health by Executive Order on March 6, 2024, initiating a six-month timeline for stakeholders to meet and discuss potential reforms. More than 100 stakeholders representing dozens of organizations met more than 20 times, crafted and discussed recommendations, and delivered their report to the Governor on September 5, 2024.
Since the establishment of the Committee, the Arkansas Department of Health and Arkansas Department of Human Services have taken a number of steps to improve maternal health outcomes, including expanding prenatal care at local health units, initiating an RFP for a statewide maternal health PSA campaign, launching a maternal health pilot program in five counties with poor maternal health outcomes, securing a $17 million Transforming Maternal Health Model grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and more.
