States Showcase Maternity Care Access Strategies at NASHP Conference
At NASHP's 2026 Annual State Health Policy Conference, state officials from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and New Mexico presented strategies to combat growing maternity care deserts, which now cover nearly 35 percent of U.S. counties and affect 2.4 million women, according to a March of Dimes report cited at the event. Panelists described initiatives including Pennsylvania's Perinatal Action Collaborative supporting doulas and community-based services, Kentucky's rural PoWER Teams pairing nurses with doulas and community health workers, and New Mexico's use of its Medicaid 1115 waiver for home visiting and doula and lactation reimbursement, alongside Rural Health Transformation Program investments. States also discussed federal policy changes such as Medicaid state directed payments and work requirements, and the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Medicaid coverage and benefits. NASHP indicates continued state interest in leveraging federal and state funding to expand perinatal workforce and care delivery models.