June 24, 2022
The Biden administration has released a plan focused on addressing the country’s maternal health crisis, seeking to push states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage and expand access to maternal services.
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation. Senior administration officials said the blueprint released Friday is aimed at combating that disparity, using various actions developed over 18 months and centered around equity.
Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, this Administration is now taking the next step towards a future where the United States will be the best country in the world to have a baby.
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to cutting the rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, reducing the disparities in maternal health outcomes, and improving the overall experience during and after pregnancy for people across the country.
This commitment will require bold, unprecedented action through a whole-of-government strategy.
To start, the Administration is calling on Congress to improve and expand coverage by closing the Medicaid coverage gap and requiring continuous Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum, as well as making the significant investments included in the President’s FY23 budget to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
The administration said it wants to also make it easier for people to enroll in federal programs for food, housing, child care and income assistance.
Vice President Harris will travel to Illinois on Friday with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Illinois Reps. Robin Kelly (D) and Lauren Underwood (D), a co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, to speak more about the plan.
The maternal mortality crisis has been a top priority for Harris since her time in the Senate, with a particular focus on ending health care inequities for Black mothers at a time when Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women.Â
The Blueprint outlines five priorities to improve maternal health and outcomes in the United States:
• Increasing access to and coverage of comprehensive high-quality maternal health services, including behavioral health services.
• Ensuring women giving birth are heard and are decisionmakers in accountable systems of care.
• Advancing data collection, standardization, harmonization, transparency, and research
• Expanding and diversifying the perinatal workforce.
• Strengthening economic and social supports for people before, during, and after pregnancy.
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