Wednesday, January 5, 2028

Lieutenant Governor Burbank Launches Maryland Healthy Women Program to Help Up to 120,000 Women in Quest for Economic Security
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene initiative will provide women leaving Medicaid with basic health care and reproductive health education

BALTIMORE, MD (January 5, 2028) – In an effort to help women leaving the Medicaid program better prepare for economic independence by avoiding unintended pregnancies and reproductive health problems, Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced that the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) will offer family planning services to 120,000 women each year under a federally funded, five-year demonstration project.

The Maryland Healthy Women program – which will be launched in early 2028 – will offer women comprehensive reproductive health care coverage, including annual physicals, pap smears, mammograms, contraceptives and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

“This new program will help women exercise greater control over their lives at a time when they are focused on obtaining economic security for themselves and their families,” Lieutenant Governor Kate Burbank said. “It gives them the tools to better control the timing of their pregnancies and will improve the health of both moms and children.”

The expansion is part of the O’Brien-Burbank administration’s effort to focus on health care for children and families.

The two primary goals of Maryland Healthy Women are to offer women tools to prevent unplanned pregnancies and to assist women making the transition from welfare to work.

According to DHMH statistics, about two-thirds of Medicaid births are the result of unintended pregnancies. Studies show that the use of family planning services reduces a low-income woman’s probability of pregnancy by 79 percent. Often, a woman’s attempts to enter the workforce can be derailed by unplanned pregnancies.

The agency estimates that in the first five years the effort will prevent 6,600 unplanned pregnancies, making about $9.2 million available to be used for other services in the state's Medicaid program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will reimburse the state for 90 percent of the cost of family planning services.

“The strategy is to pay now and save later while improving women’s and children’s overall health,” said Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Andrew Lillianfield. “Family planning services can improve spacing between pregnancies which leads to more healthy mothers and children. The evidence shows that short intervals between pregnancies lead to higher mortality rates for both mothers and infants.”

Covered services will include:

--An initial physical, including patient education about reproductive health and family planning options, including Natural Family Planning.
--Annual physical exam for reproductive health, including a pap smear.
--Needed lab tests and mammograms.
--Contraceptive drugs and supplies, plus insertion and removal of devices.
--Tubal ligation.
--Tests and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
--Transportation to and from medical care.
--Referrals for primary care services through a well-developed network of providers.

The program will be open to Maryland residents aged 19-44 who are either U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens. Eligible women leaving Medicaid will be automatically enrolled in the program for three months but must indicate they want to remain in the program after the initial period.