“I was told my pregnancy was going to be pretty difficult,” says Rhonda, a first-time mother from Waco. “It was terrifying because I didn’t know where to start, what to do.”
Rhonda is one of over 27,000 first-time mothers who have participated in the Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, where registered nurses provide support and guidance to first-time mothers and their families through home visits. NFP nurses provide continuous care to the mom and child from pregnancy through the child’s second year of life. This free program helps first-time moms like Rhonda stay in good health, overcome parenting challenges, and build a better future for themselves and their children.
Texas moms need support.
“Nurses have been able to intervene and save our women and children from dying because they’re there.”
Preventable and treatable medical conditions are the leading causes of maternal mortality in Texas. Last legislative session, Texas passed twelve months of post-partum Medicaid coverage to address rapidly rising maternal mortality and morbidity rates. Teen pregnancies, known to be high-risk pregnancies, are also rising in Texas, putting young mothers at risk of developing serious, lifelong health complications.
Texas women have low access to maternal health care, especially in rural communities. Almost half of Texas counties are maternal care deserts, and an additional 14.2% have limited maternal care. Women in these counties, especially those enrolled in Texas Medicaid, may have low access to needed preventive, prenatal, and postpartum care. Such barriers to health care deteriorate Texans’ trust in health care providers and prevent Texans from seeking the care they need.
Mental health conditions accounted for 17% of maternal mortality in Texas. Texas ranks last in access to mental health care; 246 of 254 counties (totaling 15 million Texans) do not have enough mental health care providers, and Medicaid enrollees struggle more than other Texans to access mental health care.
Bringing care to mothers and creating relationships with providers sets up Texan mothers and their babies to have better health outcomes in the future.
NFP is a proven solution for Texas families.
Over three years, NFP nurses provide extensive services to support new families and invest in the newest Texans. More than 45 years of national experience and research shows that these NFP services can improve pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and economic self-sufficiency of the family at a low cost to Texans.
Between 2019-2021, Texas NFP outcomes included:
Every dollar spent on NFP services saves Texans $4.90, but Medicaid coverage for NFP could save Texans even more.
Today in Texas, NFP is funded through a mix of state general revenue dollars and non-Medicaid federal grant funds like TANF and MIECHV. Since many of the women enrolled in NFP also qualify for Medicaid (over 90% in Texas), many states have made the decision to maximize federal dollars and cover the costs of NFP for Medicaid enrollees through the Medicaid program. Since Texas does not recognize NFP as a Medicaid benefit, the state is leaving federal matching dollars on the table.
A recent report shows that high-risk pregnancies costs Texas Medicaid $776 million per year; the NFP program directly addresses factors of high-risk pregnancies and sets mothers up for healthier future pregnancies, reducing that cost. By helping families become self-sufficient and attending to newborns through the most vulnerable years of their lives further reduces future Texas Medicaid spending. In total, the NFP program saves Texans over $53,000 per family enrolled in NFP, according to research from the Matheson Center for Health Care Studies.
The Thriving Texas Families program refers new mothers to NFP, but due to funding limitations, NFP is only able to serve about a quarter of those referrals. Last session, Texas allocated $32.8 million over the biennium in combined general revenue and TANF investment in NFP.. Additional funding and Medicaid coverage in the 89th Legislative Session can help close the referral gap, maximize federal matching funds, and help Texans save on other health, welfare, and education costs.
“There’s a bond we build over the three years we’re with the mom,” says Rhonda’s NFP nurse, Ronnica. That bond sets up mothers and their families for long-term self-sufficiency, family stability, and healthy outcomes.
“[Ronnica] really became my support, my best friend,” says Rhonda. “I would recommend this program to any mother.”
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