Ann Arbor Times

The University of Michigan's Youth Policy Lab has released a report indicating that the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies pilot program in Michigan has had positive effects on participating families. This initiative, part of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, aims to improve health outcomes for pregnant individuals and new parents by offering enhanced home visiting services.

According to the report, families involved in the program were less likely to face food insecurity, utility cutoffs, or homelessness. Specifically, there was a 43% decrease in families reporting loss of essential utilities and a 25% reduction in those classified as homeless under federal guidelines. Furthermore, unemployed participants showed a 62% increase in job-seeking activities.

The state plans to expand this pilot program across more than 75 MDHHS Maternal and Infant Health Program home visiting agencies statewide. Robin Jacob from the Youth Policy Lab commented on its importance: “Our evaluation shows that the (Healthy Moms Healthy Babies) pilot provides crucial support to families in need and we were thrilled to see the new approach written into the governor’s budget.”

The report highlighted racial equity improvements within agencies that could bill for enhanced services. In these agencies, satisfaction rates with the home visiting program were nearly equal between white (90%) and Black (87%) families. This contrasts with a notable gap observed in control group agencies.

This collaboration between U-M’s Youth Policy Lab and MDHHS is part of ongoing efforts to bolster Medicaid-eligible families' health during pregnancy and infancy. The partnership aimed to assess whether expanding billable services could better assist families with significant needs.

Dawn Shanafelt from MDHHS emphasized the program's impact: “The Maternal Infant Health Program is life-changing for thousands of families in Michigan each year.” Home visiting programs have been shown to improve various aspects such as birth outcomes, child development, healthcare use, and parenting practices.

Jacob also noted the cost-effectiveness of addressing social determinants of health through additional resources provided by this pilot project. The estimated savings from reduced homelessness alone amount to $1,390,000 annually.

“Devoting additional time and resources to support those who deliver frontline social services can help them do their jobs more effectively,” Jacob added. MDHHS plans to implement new billing guidance across all MIHP agencies following these findings.