Women's Health Equity Policy Weekly Updates

Monday, December 22, 2025

Welcome to this week's policy updates focused on advancing women's health equity. This bulletin highlights recent federal policy developments, provides actionable resources, and includes advocacy tools to support your work in creating equitable health systems for all women.

Systemic Access and Affordability

CMS Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model Launches in 15 States

What is the TMaH Model? A 10-year initiative designed to improve maternal healthcare outcomes, reduce disparities, and lower costs for Medicaid and CHIP-covered births through value-based payment models and comprehensive care approaches.

Key Updates:

15 states selected: Alabama, Arkansas, California, DC, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin
Three-year pre-implementation period began January 1, 2025
Up to $17 million in cooperative agreement funding per state over 10 years
Focus on three pillars: Access to care and workforce capacity; Quality improvement and safety; Whole-person care

Medicaid/CHIP Coverage: These public insurance programs covered 41% of all U.S. births in 2021. Medicaid covers 44% of women with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

CALL TO ACTION: Contact Your State Legislators

Ask your state to:

If your state is participating: Support full implementation of TMaH model requirements
If not participating: Advocate for joining future cohorts
Ensure robust community engagement in planning processes

Sample Script:

"Hello, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY]. I'm calling to urge [LEGISLATOR NAME] to support the Transforming Maternal Health Model in our state. This evidence-based initiative will improve maternal care for the 41% of births covered by Medicaid/CHIP while addressing racial disparities in maternal mortality. I request your support for adequate state funding and community engagement in implementation planning. Thank you."

Read Full TMaH Announcement CMS Press Release

H.R.4150 - Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act

Federal Matching Rate: The percentage of Medicaid program costs paid by the federal government versus the state. This bill proposes a 90% federal match for maternal health expenditures exceeding 2019 levels.

What This Means: This legislation would provide states with significantly higher federal funding for maternal health services, making it more financially feasible to expand comprehensive care.

CALL TO ACTION: Email Your Congressional Representatives

Sample Email Subject: Support H.R.4150 - Advancing Maternal Health Equity

Sample Email Body:

"Dear [Representative/Senator NAME], as your constituent, I urge you to co-sponsor and support H.R.4150. With maternal mortality rates remaining unacceptably high—particularly for Black, Indigenous, and rural women—we need increased federal investment in maternal care infrastructure. Thank you."

View Bill Text

Investment in Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Alabama Birth Equity Initiative: Community-Led Care Model

This coalition addresses maternal health through comprehensive interventions including mobile health units, mutual aid networks, and policy advocacy. Partners include the Yellowhammer Fund and the National Institute for Reproductive Health.

CALL TO ACTION: Support Community-Based Organizations

Donate to local reproductive justice organizations
Advocate for community health worker programs
Support funding for mobile health units in rural areas

Addressing Bias and Improving Quality of Care

CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation: New Maternal Health Standards

New mandatory baseline standards for organization, staffing, and delivery of care in obstetric units are finalized for 2025.

CMS Hospital Standards Announcement

Federal Standards for Data Disaggregation

OMB's 2024 Revisions to Federal Race and Ethnicity Data Standards

The first revisions since 1997 require federal data collection to include greater disaggregation for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) subgroups to identify hidden health disparities.

HHS: Data Resources