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ACNM Policy Update - 1/7/2016



Federal Issues





1. ACNM Submits Comments on Draft 2017 Letter to
Issuers



2. Recording of CMS Maternal Health Quality
Panel Discussion Available



3. Childbirth Connection and Choices in
Childbirth Release Materials on Medicaid Coverage for Doulas



4. KFF Releases Infographic on Increases in
Employer Sponsored Insurance Premiums



5. Vote for Home Birth!


1. ACNM Submits Comments on Draft 2017 Letter to
Issuers






ACNM has submitted comments in
response to the Draft 2017 Letter to Issuers in the Federally
Facilitate Marketplace
. This document outlines proposed policies the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to put in place in
that specific arena. As of this writing
there are more than 8 million people receiving coverage through a marketplace
plan, which is expected to rise to around 10 million. ACNM's comments focused on the need to
include CNMs and CMs in these plan networks and provided information about the
distinct type of services offered by midwives and their value to plans.





2. Recording of CMS Maternal Health Quality
Panel Discussion Available






The Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available a recording
and slides associated with a panel discussion on maternal and infant health
held at its recent quality conference.
To access the materials, you will need to register first. Registration is free. The panelists discussed CMS' current efforts
in this area, including efforts to improve the use of postpartum visits and
LARC.





3. Childbirth Connection and Choices in
Childbirth Release Materials on Medicaid Coverage for Doulas






Childbirth Connection and Choices in Childbirth have released a set of materials aimed at encouraging states to provide coverage for doulas under their
Medicaid programs. The materials include
a full issue brief, an executive summary, an infographic, a news release and a
link to a Cochrane review. The brief
documents how widespread access to doula support would improve outcomes for
women and babies, enhance women's experience of care, and reduce the cost of
care. It clarifies that this high-value form of care warrants widespread
Medicaid and private insurance coverage, and points to many pathways for
achieving this. Interested individuals can use these materials to advocate on
behalf of doula coverage by any payer.





4. KFF Releases Infographic on Increases in
Employer Sponsored Insurance Premiums






The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has released an infographic that charts recent
trends in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums. It shows that between 1999 and 2015, premiums
increased by 203 percent, outpacing both inflation and workers' earnings. However, growth of premiums for family
coverage slowed toward the end of that time period, from an average of 11
percent a year between 1999 and 2005, to 5 percent between 2005 and 2015. In recent years, deductibles rose faster than
both premiums and wages, with the average premium for single and family
coverage increasing 4 percent between 2014 and 2015. There is
considerable variation in the premiums at different firms; 8 percent of covered
workers are enrolled in a family plan worth more than $24,000 and 4 percent are
in plans worth less than $10,000 annually.





5. Vote for Home Birth!





Many of you may be aware
that the New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study of the
safety of home birth. In a somewhat related article,
the NEJM published two reactions to a specific case study, one advocating for
home birth, the other for hospital birth.
In a sidebar to these two approaches, the journal asks readers to vote
on whether they would "support home delivery as a reasonable option for this
patient," or whether they would "recommend delivery in a hospital
setting." The poll is located on the
right side of the page. Take a look at
the hypothetical case and cast your vote in the poll!






Should you have questions about state issues, please contact Cara Kinzelman, ACNM's Associate Director of State Government Affairs at[email protected]or 240-485-1841.

If you have questions regarding federal issues, please contact Jesse Bushman, ACNM's Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at[email protected]or 240-485-1843.






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