New Jersey Selected to Participate in New Transforming Maternal Health Model by Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Ten-Year Federal Program Includes up to $17M in Federal Funds Focusing On Improving Maternity Care for NJ FamilyCare Patients
January 21, 2025
(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced that it 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.
“We are thrilled that New Jersey’s Medicaid program was selected for the Transforming Maternal Health Model. Under Governor and First Lady Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey has emerged as a national leader in transforming maternal and infant care, and the State’s Medicaid program has been integral to advancing and transforming perinatal care and outcomes. Participation in the TMaH model ensures our progress can continue over the next decade with federal funding and support,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman.
“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,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for their unwavering commitment to prioritizing mothers and babies across the nation. Their support has been instrumental in our efforts to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.”
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.
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.
New Jersey’s participation in TMaH will help maternal health providers connect existing health and social services and programs into one systemic, whole-person approach to maternal health.
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.
“MIHIA is dedicated to moving the needle forward on maternal health innovation and clinical best practices,” said Lisa Asare, CEO of MIHIA. “In partnership with TMaH, MIHIA will work to foster active and measurable change in the quality of care that New Jersey mothers and babies receive. TMaH is an extraordinary opportunity for New Jersey to develop a statewide system of perinatal care and design a payment structure to support it. MIHIA is excited to partner with Medicaid and community leaders to reach this goal.”
The New Jersey Departments of Health and of Children and Families are also key partners in the implementation of TMaH, through investments made in perinatal workforce development and supporting person- and family-centered care, as well as running Connecting NJ, the State’s resource for community-based services for pregnant residents and their families.
“There are so many exciting things happening in New Jersey in the maternal and infant health space, and we’re looking forward to working with our partners in state government to give every family and every birthing person the opportunities and support they need to be safe, healthy, and connected,” said NJ DCF Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. “New Jersey is substantially improving maternal and newborn health outcomes through nurse home visiting; a thriving, equitable, and accessible birthing health infrastructure inclusive of doulas and midwives; and comprehensive public health and social services programs for all families. This latest investment from the federal government to continue to transform maternal and infant healthcare in New Jersey recognizes that we’re on the right path to give families the best and healthiest start possible.”
“New Jersey has come a long way in advancing maternal health outcomes in this administration, and this grant will help ensure the critical work continues. This payment model, which promotes integration of health, mental health, and social services, addresses a critical issue: that 70 to 80 percent of health is determined by social and psychological factors,” said Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, DFASAM. “The Department of Health is fully committed to partnering on this innovative, all-of-government effort to decrease health disparities and improve maternal and infant outcomes.”
The TMaH model is broken into two phases, a three-year pre-implementation period to build momentum and infrastructure, and a seven-year implementation period to execute the model. The pre-implementation period began January 1, 2025.
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.
For more information on the TMaH model, visit the CMS Innovation Models website.
Human Services is the largest New Jersey state department, serving about 1 in 4 residents, including one in every two children. NJ Human Services strives to support New Jerseyans living to their fullest opportunity at every stage of life, and to serve people with commitment, clarity, and empathy.