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ACNM Policy Update - 8/30/2015

1.  Support the ACNM Thunderclap!

2.  KFF Creates Medicaid Managed Care Market Tracker

3.  CMS Announces Mixed Results for ACOs

4.  Joint Commission Announces First Hospital to Earn Perinatal Care Certification Status

5.  USPSTF Takes Step Toward Recommending Screening for Depression in Adults, Including Pregnant and Postpartum Women

6. CMQCC Announces Webinar on Preeclampsia Toolkit


1. Support the ACNM Thunderclap!

We need you to take one simple action to support ACNM and midwives as Midwifery Advocacy Month comes to a close. Monday, August 31, ACNM will launch its first Thunderclap, a tool that will unify and amplify our voices over social media. The only commitment on your part is to sign up and allow Thunderclap to post an approved message about supporting midwifery-related legislation to your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr account. The sign-up process is quick and easy!



For the Thunderclap to work, we need 250 people signed up in advance of August 31. Right now we have just over 160 people committed to the campaign. If 250 or more participate, our Thunderclap messaging will launch across Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr this Monday, August 31 at noon EST and reach more than 100,000 people.



ACNM's goal for the Thunderclap is to reach midwifery supporters over social media and encourage them to use our Action Center to contact their legislators. We're asking them to support the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act

Please sign up now to participate in the Thunderclap and amplify the voice of midwives and midwifery supporters across the United States. Your participation is crucial. Please help us spread the word that #MidwivesAdvocate! 




2. KFF Creates Medicaid Managed Care Market Tracker

Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the US. More than half of all Medicaid beneficiaries nationally receive most or all of their care from risk-based managed care organizations (MCOs) that contract with state Medicaid programs to deliver comprehensive Medicaid services to enrollees an states are rapidly expanding their use of MCOs to deliver the Medicaid benefit. 

To enhance understanding and analysis of the Medicaid managed care market, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has created the Medicaid Managed Care Market Tracker to provide state-level, MCO-level, and parent firm-level information related to comprehensive Medicaid MCOs. It is a very valuable resource for any midwife seeking to understand the business environment in her/his state with regard to the most important payer you are likely to work with. 




3. CMS Announces Mixed Results for ACOs 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced 2014 results for accountable care organizations (ACOs) attempting to improve quality and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaires.  ACOs are a cornerstone of the delivery reforms in the Affordable Care Act, and CMS characterized the 2014 results as an improvement over prior year results. More than 420 Medicare ACOs have been established that serve more than 7.8 million beneficiaries.

In 2014, 20 Pioneer and 333 Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs generated more than $411 million in savings, which includes all ACOs savings and losses. Pioneer ACOs showed improvements in 28 of 33 quality measures. Shared Savings Program ACOs that reported quality measures in 2013 and 2014 improved on 27 of 33 quality measures. 

Notably, only 97 of 333 Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs were able to perform well enough to receive a payment for their success and the average savings per ACO declined. CMS announced the information in a press release and fact sheet




4. Joint Commission Announces First Hospital to Earn Perinatal Care Certification Status

Less than two months after launching its Perinatal Care Certification, The Joint Commission has recognized Commonwealth Health Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, as the first hospital in the United States to earn the distinction.

The certification, which launched July 1, covers prenatal through postpartum care in order to improve and maintain the health of newborns and their mothers. To achieve Perinatal Care Certification, organizations have to meet strict criteria related to the care of mothers and babies.




5. USPSTF Takes Step Toward Recommending Screening for Depression in Adults, Including Pregnant and Postpartum Women

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently released draft recommendations on screening adults, including pregnant and postpartum women, for depression. The draft recommendation has a grade of "B", which is significant because if finalized as such, insurers would be required to pay for the screening without any cost sharing (no deductible or co-payment) for beneficiaries. It is not clear at this point when the draft recommendation might be finalized. 




6. CMQCC Announces Webinar on Preeclampsia Toolkit

The California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) has announced a September 25 webinar during which presenters (Dr. Larry Shields of Dignity Health and Eleni Tsigas, Executive Director of the Preeclampsia Foundation) will discuss the CMQCC's preeclampsia toolkit and also methods for patient support during and after a preeclampsia diagnosis. The webinar will take place from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. PST. 

Registration is free and the event is approved for 1.5 CEU contact hours. Details are available here.




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. 


Not an ACNM member?  You can access all of the member benefits, including receipt of every ACNM Policy Update, by joining today.  

Want to take action or get involved?  Contact ACNM's Government Affairs Committee.

Don't have the time or energy to get involved, but still want to contribute?  Support the Midwives-PAC.