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Researchers and advocates press committee for full implementation of maternal‑health reforms and Medicaid reimbursement changes
Summary
Speakers including Dr. Ndidi Mutonukaga of Tufts and the Mass Medical Society urged the committee to ensure effective implementation of last year’s maternal‑health reforms, expand coverage for the full spectrum of pregnancy care, improve data collection and invest in midwife/doula reimbursement to reduce disparities in maternal outcomes.
Dr. Ndidi Emaka Mutonukaga, founder/director of the Tufts Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice, told the Joint Committee on Public Health that Black women in the United States die at two to three times the rate of white women and that in Massachusetts Black birthing people experience nearly twice the rate of severe maternal complications.
Dr. Mutonukaga urged the committee to ensure full, equitable implementation of House Bill 4999 (referred to in testimony as House Bill 49 99) and to support bills she named (House Bill 1456 and Senate Bill 1199 in testimony) that would ensure coverage for “the full spectrum of pregnancy care,” including prenatal care, miscarriage management, abortion and postpartum services without cost‑sharing. She described work by her center and a toolkit to help doulas and MassHealth members become Medicaid‑reimbursable as part of implementation efforts and called for accountable, real‑time, race‑specific maternal‑health data and investments in maternal‑health workforce pipelines and licensure/regulatory updates for birth centers.
Members of the Mass Medical Society praised the committee and last summer’s maternal‑health law, and asked the committee to monitor implementation and support measures that advance equitable reimbursement for midwives, doulas and community health workers and close gaps in maternal outcomes. The Mass Medical Society also highlighted maternal mental‑health services and the intersection with substance use disorder as priorities.
Speakers emphasized that policy passage alone is insufficient without adequate reimbursement, workforce investments and enforcement approaches that ensure hospitals and insurers follow the statutory intent. Dr. Mutonukaga said “cost should never be a barrier to life‑saving care” and urged the committee to prioritize measures that target racial equity in outcomes.
Witnesses offered to work with the committee on targeted implementation language, data‑reporting requirements and reimbursement reforms that would operationalize the reforms passed in the prior session.
