Politics might feel hopelessly fractious these days, but an oasis of agreement is emerging around funding for maternal health. Funding bills from both the House of Representatives and the Senate pay special attention to the needs of new mothers and their infants.
Both bills allot the same amount – roughly $608.5 million – in block grants to fund state efforts to address maternal mortality, an increase of $5 million over current levels.
An Investment in Better Data
Both chamber’s appropriation committees also requested a report on “barriers to effective and consistent data collection and opportunities to improve coordination among State MMRCs,” referring to Maternal Mortality Review Committees.
Every state has a committee designed to study the causes and contributing factors of pregnancy-related and neonatal deaths, but that’s about where the commonalities end. Data collection varies among states, so an influx of federal funding could support the development and implementation of uniform data collection standards, which could lead to a better understanding of the nation’s collective challenges.
In 2022, at least 800 women died in pregnancy, childbirth, or soon after the birth of a baby, but those statistics likely undercount women in rural areas and marginalized populations. Black women and those without reliable access to prenatal care face higher rates of maternal death. Experts say at least 80% of such deaths are preventable.
Reconciliation is Ongoing
But differences remain between the bills, including the House’s hesitation to fund the Healthy Start program aimed at reducing maternal deaths in high-risk pregnancies.
Other programs being considered but not yet agreed upon include:
- Vaccination campaigns to combat human papilloma virus and resulting cancers,
- Efforts to better reach and provide support to children born with special needs,
- Expansion of prenatal screening for syphilis to reduce congenital infections,
- Reduction in disparities in health care access for vulnerable and at-risk populations,
- Support for maternal mental health challenges, which impact one in five new moms,
- Technical assistance for states to improve the health of pregnant women and infants, and
- Improvements in state-run data systems to improve data collection on maternal deaths.
The White House has backed efforts to improve maternal health, particularly those with overlapping mental health focus, so Congress should be able to count on support from the current administration once they come to agreement within chambers.
