HUSKY Maternity Bundle

Overview

Maternity Bundle Status Update

The Maternity Bundle Team is currently waiting for approvals to pursue contracts with consultants who will help in project management, design and construction of the bundle. The team will extend formal invitation to potential members of the Maternity Bundle Stakeholder Advisory Council in the very near future. We will provide additional updates as we make progress in the maternity bundle work. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Fatmata Williams at Fatmata.williams@ct.gov.

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The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) plans to shift to paying for maternity care in HUSKY using a bundled payment, rather than paying fee-for-service. This plan to adopt a maternity bundle is part of DSS’ overarching goal to move toward paying for equitable care in a value-based way.

Equity is the driving force behind the HUSKY maternity bundle

HUSKY has a strong commitment to remedying historical disparities in maternity care. As such, equity is at the center of HUSKY’s work on developing the maternity bundle.

To promote health equity through the maternity bundle, HUSKY will:

  • Address and remedy disparities of access, utilization and outcomes for pregnant women
  • Place particular emphasis on women of color, women with substance use disorders, and women with a high social vulnerability index as these are the women disproportionately affected by health disparities
  • Center the lived experiences of HUSKY members in the way we design and implement the maternity bundle
  • Include bundle elements that promote equitable access to care and supports (e.g., doulas, breastfeeding supports)
  • Examine all services through the lens of race and ethnicity to ensure we are working to close health equity gaps

Doula Integration

The Department of Social Services (DSS) plans to incorporate access to doula services as a core feature of the upcoming Husky Maternity Bundle Payment program and other essential supports, including lactation counseling. The additional high-valued services aim to bridge the equity gaps for historically marginalized birthing people, including those with substance use disorders. In preparation for launching the full bundled payment program, DSS and Community Health Network of Connecticut (CHN CT) have selected Primary Maternity Care (PMC), a CT-based organization whose mission is to engage in system-wide efforts to improve maternity care and achieve equity in access and outcomes. PMC has a local presence and an equity focus to support the design, planning, and successful integration of doula support into the Maternity Bundle Payment program. PMC is working closely with Health Equity Solutions (HES), another CT-based organization whose vision is for every Connecticut resident to attain optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. DSS envisions that successfully integrating doulas into the maternal health care team will contribute to the achievement of DSS’ overarching goals for the program. For additional information about PMC, please visit their website at https://www.primarymaternitycare.com/.