MO HealthNet has announced implementation of additional reimbursement for group prenatal care across Missouri. MO HealthNet, in partnership with the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, is hosting a group prenatal care additional reimbursement launch event at 9:00am on January 12 at Affinia Healthcare, 1717 Biddle Street St. Louis, Missouri 63106. Group prenatal care models are designed to improve patient education and include opportunities for social support while maintaining the risk screening and physical assessment of individual prenatal care.
Kirk Mathews, Chief Transformation officer at MO HealthNet: “We are excited to announce the launch of additional reimbursement to providers conducting evidenced[1] based group prenatal visits for their patients. We believe this is a great step toward
eliminating the racial disparities in maternal/infant health outcomes that have existed far too long.”

Group prenatal care has demonstrated reduction in preterm birth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions; increased birth weight for term and preterm infants; increased rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation; decreased emergency department visits in the third trimester; improved pregnancy-related weight management; an increase in patients presenting in active labor and at greater cervical
dilatation; increased patient, obstetrician and other obstetric care provider satisfaction; and improved knowledge of childbirth, family planning, postpartum depression, and early child rearing. 1 Group prenatal care is a billable healthcare visit.

Group prenatal care additional reimbursements are increased payment for the evidence-based group prenatal care model, aimed at expanding access to group prenatal care. “We are grateful for the support of MO HealthNet, the Medicaid Transformation Team at
MO HealthNet, Affinia Healthcare, Washington University School of Medicine and our many other partners for their efforts to launch additional reimbursements for group prenatal care,” said Andwele Jolly, President & CEO of the St. Louis Integrated Health
Network, “Group prenatal care will impact many Missouri moms and babies and allow them to be partners in their pregnancy care.”

Partners in the collaborative include Affinia Healthcare, BJC Healthcare Barnes-Jewish Hospital, CareSTL, Deaconess Foundation, Family Care Health Centers, St. Louis University School of Medicine, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, University Health, University of Missouri -Kansas City, Washington University School of Medicine and Community Collaborators: Jessica Belton, Joie Cruesoe, Jenelle Norman, Teneisha Parks, Cheron Phillips and Richelle Smith.
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Through partnership and collaboration, the St. Louis Integrated Health Network is a healthcare intermediary building capacity across sectors to advance health equity and improve wellbeing by increasing access to health and social services, with an emphasis on communities that have been historically excluded. The IHN is composed of four community health center (CHC) organizations, two medical schools, two public health departments, three major hospital systems coordinating care, two technical advisors and 1 partner member. IHN coordinates EleVATE: Elevating Voices, Addressing Depression, Toxic Stress and Equity focused on group prenatal care for patients, health care teams and health systems.

To learn more about EleVATE visit: https://www.youtube.com/@EleVATECollaborative/videos.

For more information on St. Louis Integrated Health Network, call 314-202-7314 or visit https://stlouisihn.org/.
The mission of the Department of Social Services is to empower Missourians to live safe, healthy, and productive lives.
1American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion Number 731