The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) has been selected as one of 15 state Medicaid agencies to participate in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) model.
The 10-year program includes up to $17 million in federal funding and will support New Jersey’s efforts to develop a whole-person approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care that addresses the physical, mental health, and social needs experienced during pregnancy, with the ultimate goal of reducing disparities in access and treatment for Medicaid members.
“With tens of thousands of babies born each year under Medicaid, I am thrilled New Jersey was selected to participate in this 10-year program with the potential to help countless mothers through their pregnancies. This funding will build on the progress that we have made over the past seven years and keep New Jersey at the forefront of maternal and infant health care,” First Lady Tammy Murphy said in a statement.
The First Lady launched Nurture NJ in 2019 as a statewide initiative committed to reducing the maternal mortality rates in New Jersey and ensuring equitable care among women and children of all races and ethnicities.
Since 2018, through the Nurture NJ initiative, the Murphy Administration has invested millions of dollars to support families covered by the State’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), called NJ FamilyCare, overseen by the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) within DHS. NJ FamilyCare covers more than 30 percent of New Jersey births annually.
In Lakewood, 3,006 of the 5,264 babies born in 2022, were covered by Medicaid.
Selection as a TMaH participant reinforces the Garden State’s dedication to make New Jersey the leader in safe and equitable births. Many of the core goals within the new model’s pillars are aligned with ongoing efforts within NJ FamilyCare under the Nurture NJ initiative.
The TMaH model will build upon enacted policies such as increasing access to and reimbursement for maternal care providers including physicians, midwives, and doulas; becoming the second state in the nation to expand Medicaid coverage to 365 days postpartum; ending payment for early elective cesarean section deliveries; encouraging community-based education for providers; and linking patients to comprehensive prenatal screening for medical, behavioral health, and health-related social needs.
Human Services is also running the third year of a maternity payment model pilot program, referred to as the perinatal episode of care, to incentivize hospitals serving NJ FamilyCare members to improve the birth-related health outcomes of their patients. Currently, providers caring for 75 percent of NJ FamilyCare’s annual births participate in the pilot.
DMAHS will helm New Jersey’s participation in TMaH, working closely with other state partners to ensure that the model has the greatest possible impact on the care experienced by pregnant NJ FamilyCare members.
NJ’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MIHIA) will be a critical partner in the success of the TMaH model. Established in 2023, MIHIA is the first and only state authority in the nation dedicated to reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. MIHIA will support TMaH by helping to drive and align quality improvement efforts within NJ FamilyCare with stakeholders and community members across the state.
A critical piece of the TMaH model will be creating a payment model for NJ FamilyCare maternity care providers which will launch in 2028, coinciding with the start of the implementation period. The current perinatal episode of care pilot will be used to inform the design and enactment of the TMaH model.