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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Nov 11, 2024 - Highlights challenges for rural Washington healthcare facilities in offering labor and delivery services. Discusses challenges with maintaining healthcare quality, maternal care deserts, financial challenges and sustainability, and the impact of labor and delivery services on community vitality.
Source: Washington State Standard
Nov 1, 2024 - Announcement of new policies included in the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center final rule. Describes updated health and safety requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to improve and expand access to quality maternal and behavioral health care. Notes policy changes including updated payment rates, staffing standards, quality assessments, training requirements, and expanded coverage for services provided outside the "four walls" of behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Nov 1, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2025. This rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and finalizes updates to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services. Among other things, this rule summarizes comments received in response to an information request on potential modifications to the Safety of Care measure group in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology. This rule also finalizes exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement for Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, and, at state option, for behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas. The provisions of this rule are effective January 1, 2025. Comments are due by December 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 31, 2024 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection titled "Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Jurisdictional Survey Instrument for the Title V MCH Block Grant Program, OMB No. 0906-0042—Revision." The MCH Jurisdictional Survey is designed to produce data on the physical and emotional health of mothers and children under 18 years of age in the following eight jurisdictions—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, Puerto Rico, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Proposed revisions include further updates to survey questions to align with new Federal data standards, including updated guidance from OMB on collecting information on race and ethnicity. Comments are due by December 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 30, 2024 - Arizona's Medicaid agency is funding new on-call OB-GYN providers for rural communities. The initiative is meant to increase access to care for people in maternity care deserts. Discusses challenges with recruiting healthcare providers to rural areas and the role of mental health in mortality for pregnant and postpartum women.
Source: Cronkite News
Oct 21, 2024 - Highlights the experience of a pregnant rural Georgia woman in a maternity care desert. Discusses maternity care deserts nationally, obstetric and gynecologic care in Federally Qualified Health Centers, general health disparities in areas with limited access to healthcare, and increasing the healthcare workforce for rural areas.
Source: WABE, PBS, NPR
Oct 15, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Enrollment Application for Clinics/Group Practices and Other Suppliers; 2) Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and Supporting Regulations; and 3) Conditions of Participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due by November 14, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 15, 2024 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announcing modifications to the organization of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). This reorganization establishes the Office of Strategy, Innovation, and External Affairs and the Division of Women's Health.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 9, 2024 - Announces new funding across 15 states for identifying and implementing strategies to address the maternal health. The funding will allow State Maternal Health Innovation programs to identify the drivers of maternal mortality and implement tailored programs to address those drivers. Offers examples of these programs including access to training for rural and frontier hospitals without an obstetrics department. Also notes other maternal health initiatives from the Health Resource & Services Administration.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Oct 3, 2024 - Discusses the reasons for closures of labor and delivery departments across rural Arkansas and the impact on pregnant women. Highlights doulas as potential options for filling gaps in care.
Source: THV 11