Indiana Medicaid Awarded $5.2M CMS Grant Addressing Maternal Opioid Use

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced it is receiving $5.2 million in grant dollars to improve the coordination of clinical care and the integration of other services that are critical for maternal and child health, well-being and sustained recovery.

The grant is part of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Indiana initiative, which is a cooperative agreement between FSSA and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that addresses opioid use disorder in pregnancy.

 “There are many difficulties that pregnant women with substance use disorders face. The goal of this grant is to make sure that navigating health care is not one of them,” said Dan Rusyniak, M.D., FSSA chief medical officer.

FSSA has partnered with its four Medicaid managed care programs (Anthem, CareSource, MDwise and MHS) on a four-pronged approach:

1. Cooperative care coordination— Care coordinators from the managed care entities will work with FSSA to develop collaborative problem-solving, shared best practices and innovative strategies to address challenges facing pregnant women with opioid use disorder. The MOMII team will also work closely with care coordinators from various community health systems to ensure timely and coordinated obstetric, addiction, and pediatric care. 
2. Increased provider education— in partnership with Indiana University’s Project ECHO, the MOMII project will create three new educational tracks. These will focus on the obstetrical care of pregnant women with opioid use disorder, evidence-based practices on the management of neonatal abstinence syndrome, and care coordination best practices for pregnant women with substance use disorders. 
3. Addressing social determinants of health— this program will screen participants for social determinants of health and make community-based referrals for identified social needs. In addition, the MOMII project will use trauma informed practices in coordinating these services. 
4. Extending Medicaid coverage— Women who qualify for this program will be eligible for full Medicaid coverage up to one year postpartum.

“Through this novel program we will address two critical initiatives in this administration: lowering infant mortality and attacking the drug epidemic,” said Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H., FSSA secretary. “This exciting project highlights Indiana’s emphasis on cross-agency and community partnerships to address our most-pressing public health issues. Through collaborations like the MOMII project, Indiana continues to be a national leader in health care reform.”

FSSA will work closely with the Indiana State Department of Health and the OB Navigator program to coordinate services for those women who qualify for both programs.