LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order that she said is aimed at improving maternal health in Arkansas.
The governor was joined alongside top health officials, including Arkansas surgeon general Kay Chandler, as she announced the executive order which she said will allow "healthier moms [to] have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies."
According to a press release from Gov. Sanders, the executive order follows a plan developed by the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health. This committee consists of several members including the secretary of the Department of Health, Arkansas' surgeon general, and the state Medicaid director.
The plan established by the committee looks to improve women's and maternal health through proper education, with the committee honing in on prenatal and postpartum visits.
Additionally, the governor said that the plan will improve maternal health before, during, and after pregnancy, while also aiming to increase access to quality maternal health services in the state.
Sanders has previously said the state will not expand postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months, and would like to improve on transitioning mothers after Medicaid eligibility ends to other applicable coverage. In Dec. 2023, the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee recommended extending the coverage to a full year.
A CDC report on maternal mortality rates from 2018-2020 shows Arkansas with the highest rate among all states.
Improvements to data reports on maternal health are also expected as part of the new executive order.
The executive order shows that the Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Human Services, and the surgeon general Kay Chandler will all collaborate to enroll pregnant and postpartum women with "available health coverage options."
In addition, the group will also work to "streamline" the coverage transition processes and eliminate gaps in maternal care.
A new pilot program was also announced as part of the plan, which targets five Arkansas counties with low rates of prenatal care. The pilot program is intended to "increase the percentage of women who access care in the first trimester and reduce incidences of women who receive no prenatal care prior to delivery."
According to the governor's press release, the committee will provide Gov. Sanders with an update of the plan's effectiveness within six months of the executive order.