Rural Texas Maternal Health Rescue Plan

Improving Healthcare Access for Mothers in Rural Texas

Overview

The Rural Texas Maternal Health Assembly includes diverse stakeholders, rural healthcare providers and administrators, senior officials from key state entities, and representatives from advisory committees. Selected members of the Assembly serve as a Working Group to delve deeper into the key issues identified through a survey of all Assembly members. To date, 38 Assembly members have responded to this survey to identify key issues and potential solutions for Texas mothers. Potential solutions and policy recommendations will be discussed during an in-person Assembly meeting in Austin, TX on September 6, 2024. The Rural Texas Maternal Health Assembly work group will finalize a Position Paper with comprehensive solutions and recommendations after this in-person meeting in Austin, TX. The final Position Paper with actionable policy recommendations for Texas will be published in mid-October.

On March 1, 2024, Texas implemented House Bill 12, extending Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months. Despite this progress, rural Texas mothers still face significant healthcare barriers.

On July 25, 2024, the Rural Texas Maternal Health Assembly was convened to address healthcare access obstacles and key issues faced by Texas mothers and rural providers in Texas.

A comprehensive Position Paper, developed by this diverse Assembly of healthcare experts, aims to address these challenges and propose actionable solutions for Texas.

 Coming Soon! Position Paper Release XX/XX/XX

 
To gather experts (rural providers, consumers, health plans, academic institutions, and foundations) focused on rural health in order to inform policy recommendations.
To understand the obstacles faced by mothers and providers and craft pragmatic interventions and recommendations regarding rural maternal health for the 89th Texas legislative session.

 
Texas mothers in rural areas face significant barriers to accessing timely medical care and social services throughout their pregnancies. Nearly 50 percent of Texas counties lack obstetrical care clinicians or hospitals.

Source: March of Dimes