Medicaid for moms
Michigan’s maternal mortality rate is 73 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Black women facing rates 4.5 times higher than white women. In Detroit, maternal deaths occur at three times the national average. Over 60% of these deaths are preventable, highlighting the critical need for improved access to care.
Medicaid benefits—such as doula care, extended postpartum coverage, and breastfeeding support—can significantly improve maternal and infant health outcomes. However, awareness and utilization remain low. Only 40% of Medicaid members in Michigan attend early prenatal or postnatal visits, leaving many mothers without essential care. Expanding awareness of these benefits is key to reducing disparities and improving health equity.
CHRT, in collaboration with the Southeast Michigan Health Association, will address this gap by developing and disseminating accessible, culturally tailored materials to promote awareness and utilization of Medicaid benefits for mothers in Southeast Michigan. This initiative will focus on improving health literacy, expanding benefit usage, and reducing maternal and infant health disparities. Key activities include:
- Development of materials: CHRT will create user-friendly resources, such as brochures and presentations, that explain Medicaid benefits like doula care, prenatal vitamins, and extended postpartum coverage. Materials will be developed in English, Spanish, and Arabic and will be developed with input from diverse mothers and community health workers to ensure clarity, cultural relevance, and engagement.
- Stakeholder engagement: CHRT will conduct focus groups with Southeast Michigan mothers, health providers, and community health workers to identify knowledge gaps and test materials for usability and effectiveness.
- Dissemination: Resources will be shared through SEMHA’s extensive network of community partners, including Kids’ Health Connections, the Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Coalition (SEMPQIC), and other local health and social service organizations. Trusted messengers like community health workers and doulas will be leveraged to ensure that materials reach underserved populations.
- Evaluation: CHRT will track the impact of the project through metrics such as material distribution, social media engagement, and pre- and post-surveys with community health workers to assess changes in awareness and behavior.