When it comes to health care, our country continues to lag behind its peers. The United States has consistently seen very high maternal mortality rates—and they’re only getting higher. Thanks to the work of advocates, the issue has gotten increasing attention, including an investigation by USA Today about the ways the system fails patients in childbirth.
It seems to have finally gotten the attention of the federal government. This week the House Committee on Ways and Means announced it is launching an investigation into the country’s high maternal mortality rates to see what can be done by both health systems and the government. As a part of the investigation, it sent a letter to 15 of the country’s largest hospital systems, which together were responsible for delivering more than one in five babies in 2015.
“What do Afghanistan, Sudan, and the United States all have in common?” it asks. “They are the only countries in the world where the maternal mortality rate is on the rise, according to recent studies by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM).”
The committee references the USA Today investigation, which is still happening, in its letter. It highlighted the role of hospitals in failing to prevent serious injury or death during childbirth.
USA TODAY’s ongoing “Deadly Deliveries” investigation has focused on the role of hospital care in preventable deaths and injuries of mothers. Each year, about 50,000 U.S. women are severely harmed and about 700 die because of complications related to childbirth. African-American moms are three to four times more likely than white moms to die or suffer devastating childbirth injuries, studies found.
About half the deaths could be prevented and half the injuries reduced or eliminated with better medical care that reduced delays in diagnosis and treatment of childbirth emergencies.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), and Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) initiated the investigation. Trying to fix the problem is inherently good, but, unfortunately, Republicans don’t have the best track record when it comes to women’s health. I will cross my fingers this isn’t a secret ploy to control reproductive health care even more, but I won’t hold my breath.