ກຸມພາ 4, 2025​​ 

ແຜນ​ທີ່​ໃໝ່​ໄດ້​ວາງ​ແຜນ​ຍຸດ​ທະ​ສາດ​ເພື່ອ​ສ້າງ​ລະ​ບົບ​ທີ່​ມີ​ຄວາມ​ສະ​ເໝີ​ພາບ​ແລະ​ມີ​ຄົນ​ເຈັບ​ເປັນ​ສູນ​ກາງ​ຫຼາຍ​ຂຶ້ນ​ສຳ​ລັບ​ສະ​ມາ​ຊິກ Medi-Cal ທີ່​ຖື​ພາ​ແລະ​ຫຼັງ​ເກີດ​ລູກ.​​ 

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) today released the Birthing Care Pathway report, a comprehensive plan to improve maternity care for Medi-Cal members. This roadmap covers the journey of all pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members from conception through 12 months postpartum, aiming to make care accessible, equitable, and patient-centered.​​ 

“The Birthing Care Pathway represents a critical step forward in California’s commitment to improving maternal health,” said DHCS Director Michelle Baass. “By centering member experiences, aligning policies with actionable recommendations, and strengthening partnerships across sectors, we aim to ensure every Medi-Cal member has access to safe, equitable, and comprehensive maternity care.”​​ 

KEY OBJECTIVES: The Birthing Care Pathway report details policies DHCS has implemented or is in the process of implementing to support all pregnant and postpartum members enrolled in Medi-Cal. Additionally, the report identifies opportunities for future exploration.

The Birthing Care Pathway prioritizes:​​ 

• Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity: Establishing evidence-based interventions to save lives.​​ 
• Addressing health disparities: Tackling racial and ethnic inequities in maternal care, particularly for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals who face the most significant maternal care and outcomes gaps in California.​​ 
• ການປັບປຸງການເຂົ້າເຖິງ ແລະ ການປະສານງານ: ເສີມຂະຫຍາຍການດູແລທົ່ວທຸກດ້ານຢ່າງຕໍ່ເນື່ອງ, ລວມທັງການບໍລິການສະໜັບສະໜູນທາງດ້ານການແພດ, ພຶດຕິກຳ ແລະ ສັງຄົມ.​​ 
• Modernizing payment models: Transitioning to a value-based payment system to incentivize quality care.​​ 

The Birthing Care Pathway will work to achieve these objectives by transforming Medi-Cal’s maternity policy to create a member-centered approach to prenatal and postpartum care that meets members where they are and provides whole-person care that addresses behavioral health and social needs in addition to medical needs. DHCS will revise and modernize existing Medi-Cal policies to provide members with increased choice of types of maternity providers and supports, like doulas, community health workers, and others, and creating critical linkages between health care and other programs across the state to make it easier for members to get the full range of needed services.​​ 

Additionally, DHCS will address the needs of special populations who are pregnant/postpartum, including people involved with the justice system, individuals with severe mental health and substance use needs, LGBTQI+ individuals, and Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals.​​ 

DHCS will continue working with state departments, including the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Office of the California Surgeon General (OSG), maternity care and social services providers, state and local leaders, Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCP), birth equity advocates, and other partners to implement the Birthing Care Pathway policies outlined in the report. Continuing to engage a diverse set of partners to implement and further develop the Birthing Care Pathway will be vital to align the numerous maternity initiatives occurring so they are not siloed.​​ 

“Through a comprehensive, whole-person approach, California is not just enhancing perinatal health, but we are setting a bold new standard for care that delivers better outcomes for families statewide,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos. “The Birthing Care Pathway is a vital addition to the state’s efforts that advance perinatal health, building on the innovative, collaborative work already underway.”​​ 

“Having served rural communities throughout my career, I know that providing access to services from conception through one year postpartum has always been a challenge,” said Dr. Robert Moore, Chief Medical Officer at Partnership HealthPlan of California. “Collaborations like the DHCS Birthing Care Pathway are vital in bringing together multiple partners and stakeholders to find solutions. The entire community must engage on this issue to make lasting progress.”​​ 

WHY THIS MATTERS: Nearly one in eight U.S. births occur in California, and 40 percent of those births are covered by Medi-Cal. While California currently has the lowest maternal mortality rate in the nation, Medi-Cal members have a higher rate of maternal mortality than individuals with commercial insurance.​​ 

While the Birthing Care Pathway lays out a long-term strategy for transforming maternity care in Medi-Cal, many services and supports are already available to pregnant and postpartum members. Medi-Cal members can access comprehensive maternity care, including prenatal and postpartum visits, doula services, behavioral health care, and lactation support, through their health plan and provider network. DHCS remains committed to improving and expanding these services as part of the ongoing work to implement the Birthing Care Pathway.​​ 

ABOUT THE BIRTHING CARE PATHWAY: The Birthing Care Pathway includes policy recommendations that address the physical, behavioral, and health-related social needs of pregnant and postpartum members. Opportunities include improving access to providers, strengthening clinical care and care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing how Medi-Cal pays for maternity care.​​ 

ເສັ້ນທາງການດູແລການເກີດລູກແມ່ນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງຂອງຄຳໝັ້ນສັນຍາຫຼາຍປີເພື່ອຫັນປ່ຽນສຸຂະພາບຂອງແມ່ໃນລັດຄາລິຟໍເນຍ, ແລະ ການປະຕິຮູບສຸຂະພາບຂອງແມ່ກໍ່ກຳລັງດຳເນີນຢູ່ແລ້ວ. DHCS ກຳລັງຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດຮູບແບບ ການຫັນປ່ຽນສຸຂະພາບແມ່ (TMaH) ສິບປີຂອງລັດຖະບານກາງໃນຫ້າເຂດ Central Valley ຄື: Kern, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, ແລະ Madera. TMaH ແມ່ນຮູບແບບການຈັດສົ່ງ ແລະ ການຈ່າຍເງິນທີ່ຖືກອອກແບບມາເພື່ອທົດສອບວ່າການຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດການແຊກແຊງທີ່ມີຫຼັກຖານຢັ້ງຢືນຢ່າງມີປະສິດທິພາບ, ເຊິ່ງໄດ້ຮັບການສະໜັບສະໜູນຈາກຮູບແບບການຈ່າຍເງິນທີ່ອີງໃສ່ມູນຄ່າ, ສາມາດປັບປຸງຜົນໄດ້ຮັບຂອງແມ່ ແລະ ຫຼຸດຜ່ອນຄ່າໃຊ້ຈ່າຍຂອງໂຄງການ Medi-Cal ໄດ້ຫຼືບໍ່.

ຂະບວນການຮ່ວມມື: ເສັ້ນທາງການດູແລການເກີດລູກສະທ້ອນໃຫ້ເຫັນເຖິງຄວາມພະຍາຍາມຮ່ວມມືຂອງສະມາຊິກ Medi-Cal ທີ່ຖືພາ ແລະ ຫຼັງຄອດ, ຄູ່ຮ່ວມງານຂອງລັດ ແລະ ຜູ້ໃຫ້ບໍລິການດ້ານສຸຂະພາບ ແລະ ການບໍລິການສັງຄົມຫຼາກຫຼາຍ, ອົງການຈັດຕັ້ງຊຸມຊົນ (CBO), ແລະ ຜູ້ສະໜັບສະໜູນ, ຮັບປະກັນວິທີການນະໂຍບາຍທີ່ຊຸມຊົນຮັບຮູ້ເຖິງອະນາຄົດຂອງການເກີດລູກ ແລະ ການດູແລສຸຂະພາບຂອງແມ່ໃນລັດ California. ນອກຈາກນັ້ນ, ມູນນິທິການດູແລສຸຂະພາບຂອງລັດ California ແລະ ມູນນິທິ David & Lucile Packard ໄດ້ໃຫ້ທຶນເພື່ອສະໜັບສະໜູນການມີສ່ວນຮ່ວມ ແລະ ການພັດທະນາບົດລາຍງານ. ຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈທີ່ສຳຄັນຈາກສະມາຊິກ Medi-Cal ໄດ້ເນັ້ນໃຫ້ເຫັນເຖິງຄວາມຕ້ອງການທີ່ສຳຄັນ, ເຊັ່ນ: ການເຄົາລົບຄວາມມັກໃນການເກີດລູກ, ການເຂົ້າເຖິງການດູແລທີ່ສອດຄ່ອງກັບເຊື້ອຊາດ ແລະ ເປັນສູນກາງວັດທະນະທຳ, ການສະໜັບສະໜູນສຸຂະພາບທາງດ້ານພຶດຕິກຳທີ່ດີຂຶ້ນ, ແລະ ການປະສານງານການດູແລທີ່ດີຂຶ້ນ. ປະສົບການຂອງສະມາຊິກໄດ້ກຳນົດທິດທາງໂດຍກົງຕໍ່ຄຳແນະນຳນະໂຍບາຍຂອງເສັ້ນທາງດັ່ງກ່າວ. ສຳລັບຂໍ້ມູນເພີ່ມເຕີມ, ກະລຸນາເຂົ້າເບິ່ງ ໜ້າເວັບ Birthing Care Pathway.

“ການຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບເສັ້ນທາງການດູແລການເກີດລູກເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຮູ້ສຶກໂລ່ງໃຈ ແລະ ມີຄວາມຫວັງ ເພາະມັນໝາຍຄວາມວ່າຂ້ອຍສາມາດດູແລສຸຂະພາບຂອງຂ້ອຍ ແລະ ລູກນ້ອຍໄດ້ໂດຍບໍ່ຕ້ອງເພີ່ມຄວາມກົດດັນເພີ່ມເຕີມ,” ນາງ M. Thao, ແມ່ຂອງລູກນ້ອຍອາຍຸ 11 ເດືອນ ກ່າວ. "ທຸກໆຄັ້ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍໂທຫາເພື່ອຂໍຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອໃນການຊອກຫາຊັບພະຍາກອນ ແລະ ລົງທະບຽນເຂົ້າຮ່ວມໂຄງການ, ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮັບຄໍາແນະນໍາທີ່ຊັດເຈນຈາກ Medi-Cal." ຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກທີ່ຮູ້ວ່າເຈົ້າຈະບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງນັ້ນແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍຫວັງວ່າພໍ່ແມ່ທີ່ເກີດລູກທຸກຄົນໃນລັດຄາລິຟໍເນຍສາມາດເພິ່ງພາໄດ້.”​​  

A BROADER VISION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH: DHCS will work with MCPs, providers, CBOs, and other stakeholders to implement TMaH Model elements, which are aligned with and complementary to the Birthing Care Pathway. Additionally, DHCS is working with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, CDPH, and OSG to develop a Maternal Health Strategic Plan by September 2025 to improve maternal health throughout California.​​ 

###​​ 

ຫ້ອງການສື່ສານ​​ 
(916) 440-7660
DHCSPress@dhcs.ca.gov​​