The Louisiana Legislature has passed a resolution urging the Louisiana Department of Health to apply for participation in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model. Announced on December 15, 2023, this initiative aims to enhance maternal health care for individuals enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by adopting a comprehensive approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. The TMaH Model focuses on addressing physical and mental health needs, reducing disparities in access and treatment, and improving overall outcomes for mothers and newborns while also aiming to lower program costs.

The TMaH Model is structured around three key pillars: improving access to care and workforce capacity, enhancing quality and safety, and delivering whole-person care. It includes initiatives such as increasing access to midwives and doulas, improving prenatal care for chronic conditions, and extending postpartum Medicaid and CHIP coverage to twelve months. The resolution emphasizes the importance of developing a health equity plan to address disparities among underserved populations and outlines a timeline for implementation, which includes a three-year preimplementation phase followed by a seven-year execution period. The application for state Medicaid agencies to join the model is due in Summer 2024.