Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, are introducing an important piece of legislation with the mutual goal of extending how long Medicaid will cover postpartum women. Today, the U.S. has a shockingly high rate of maternal mortality, and advocates believe that extending healthcare coverage will help new parents receive the care they need.
As of right now, Medicaid only covers people for 60 days after they give birth. Medicaid, by the way, covers almost one-half of the births in the U.S. The Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services (MOMMIES) Act hopes to extend that Medicaid coverage for up to one year.
Meaning: This could help a lot of people, and in particular, black mothers.
For perspective, the U.S. maternal mortality rate is at 20.7 per 100,000 live births, as reported by the United Health Foundation. This data looked at information from a five-year average pulling from 2011 to 2015.
In a press release, Booker states, "We live in a nation that spends more than any other country on health care, yet we still have the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths of any country in the developed world. And Black women are nearly four times as likely to die from complications related to pregnancy than white women — in New Jersey they are five times as likely."
The maternal mortality rate for black women is three times that of white women, as reported by the Center for Disease Control. When it comes to American Indian and Alaskan Native women, the mortality rate is 2.5 times higher than for white women.
In the press release, Pressley said, "Maternal justice is about ensuring that every mom-to-be is listened to and treated with dignity and respect during and after childbirth. The MOMMIES Act would do just that by promoting a community-based, holistic approach to maternal care that recognizes current disparities in healthcare and critical environmental factors impacting communities."
An extremely important component of the MOMMIES Act is that the Medicaid coverage would include comprehensive coverage, beyond just pregnancy-related care. Doula care and midwife services would also be expanded.
“The lived experiences of black women demonstrate how racism and trauma directly impacts the health and wellbeing of marginalized communities for generations,” Pressley said.