The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) distributed $2.5 million to four community health centers for on-call maternity care services in rural communities which often have little to no maternity care available.
The payments were distributed in July to the following:
“Every Arizonan deserves access to quality maternity services, regardless of their location,” said Carmen Heredia, cabinet executive officer of AHCCCS. “At AHCCCS, we’re addressing health disparities head-on. By distributing $2.5 million to community health centers, we’re ensuring that maternity care services reach rural communities and areas with limited access across Arizona. AHCCCS is committed to improving maternal health for all Arizonans.”
This initiative is funded by Senate Bill 1720 which appropriates $7.5 million through June 30, 2026.
According to the 2023 March of Dimes Report Card for Arizona, 18.3 percent of birthing people in Arizona received inadequate prenatal care, defined as care beginning in the fifth month of pregnancy or later, or less than 50 percent of the appropriate number of visits for the infant’s gestational age, compared to the U.S. national average of 15.5 percent. Some of these individuals received no prenatal care at all. While there are a number of reasons why this occurs, limited or no access to maternity care is one of the contributing factors.
The latest data indicates that maternal deaths are increasing in the U.S., and Arizona has one of the nation’s highest pregnancy-associated death rates, increasing at rates higher than the national average. This challenge is extremely complex, but investments like this will help to change the trajectory and bring maternal care closer to Arizonans.
AHCCCS has implemented several initiatives to improve maternal health for members, including a focus on perinatal mental health conditions – the number one underlying cause of maternal mortality. Building on the success of expanding postpartum eligibility from 60 days to 12 months after the end of a pregnancy, additional upcoming benefits in both physical and mental health include coverage of doula services and group prenatal care, to be implemented before the end of the year. AHCCCS is also working toward new quality and community initiatives to address health disparities, such as this expansion of obstetrics and gynecology care in rural areas.
