On March 23, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the Healthy Moms and Babies Act, a bill that addresses the U.S.’s maternal health crisis. The bill would expand funding for maternal health services and change reporting requirements to improve data tracking on several fronts. It aims to improve maternal and child health care by:
- Coordinating and providing “whole-person” care, supporting outcome-focused and community-based prevention, and supporting stillbirth prevention activities and expanding the maternal health workforce.
- Modernizing maternal health care through telehealth to support women of color and women living in rural America.
- Reducing maternal mortality and high-risk pregnancies including C-section births, and improving our understanding of social determinants of health in pregnant and postpartum women.
Says Senator Hassan, “our bipartisan bill takes important and long overdue steps to help improve care for pregnant women and their infants.” Senator Grassley adds, “Through 21st century technology and community-based efforts, we can prevent maternal mortality and high-risk pregnancies – regardless of a mom’s zip code or economic background.”
Efforts like this one by legislators to improve healthcare for pregnant and postpartum moms and their children are much needed at this time. The CDC’s latest report on maternal mortality shows a rate of 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 – a 40% increase since the previous year and the highest rate since 1965. Much of this increase can be attributed to COVID, but these numbers present a harsh reminder of the inadequacies of the U.S.’s healthcare system. AAPLOG’s committee opinion on maternal mortality sheds some insights into the causes of our high mortality rate. Evidence from the CDC suggests that 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, highlighting the need for more resources supporting mothers and the healthcare workers who serve them.
