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DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today announced bipartisan legislation to improve access to maternity care for low-income women. The Harnessing Effective and Appropriate Long-Term Health for Moms on Medicaid Act (HEALTH for MOM) Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), will provide grants to states to assist with coordinated maternity care through maternal health homes for pregnant women on Medicaid.
“The maternal health crisis is very real, and we need to act now to save more lives,” said Rep. Nunn. “By incentivizing states to support pregnant women through coordinated and comprehensive care, we’ll make it easier for moms to have the assistance they need and deserve.”
The United States has the worst maternal mortality rate of any high-income country in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 80% of maternal deaths could be prevented with proper care. Unfortunately, nearly 2 million women live in areas without access to maternity care, also known as maternity care deserts. In the Iowa Third Congressional District, ten of the twenty-one counties are considered maternity deserts.
“The United States is facing a maternal mortality crisis that is taking hundreds of lives every year and is only getting worse,” said Rep. Underwood, “I’m proud to work alongside my colleagues Rep. Nunn and Rep. Pressley on this legislation that will work with the Momnibus Act to make it easier for moms to access coordinated and comprehensive maternal healthcare.”
Last year, more than 400,000 babies were born in counties with limited or no access to maternity care. Healthcare costs related to pregnancy are often very expensive, creating another barrier to maternity care for many women. On average, pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care costs nearly $19,000 per birth, or $2,854 in out-of-pocket costs for those with health insurance.
“My grandmother died during childbirth in the 1950s, and it is shameful that decades later, we continue to have a maternal morbidity crisis that is killing our loved ones and destabilizing our communities,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would help address the maternal morbidity crisis—which is disproportionately impacting Black and low-income folks—by helping vulnerable families access high-quality, culturally congruent maternal care. I’m grateful to our colleagues for their partnership and urge Congress to pass this bill without delay.”
Research shows that increased access to and utilization of maternity care can reduce instances of pregnancy-related complications. For example, one visit to a maternal health home has been shown to significantly reduce the chance a pregnant woman goes to an emergency room and significantly reduces the number of inpatient hospital days women will have associated with their pregnancy.
“Access to quality care is vital both during pregnancy and beyond, providing a foundation for optimal health for years to come,” said Aaron Todd, Chief Executive Officer of the Iowa Primary Care Association. “As we continue to see maternal care access issues in Iowa and throughout the country, it is critical that we tackle these challenges together to ensure equitable access to care. This legislation will help to build a maternal health home model that will support us in that pursuit. We are thankful for Congressman Nunn’s leadership in working to address this issue.”
To address these issues, the bipartisan HEALTH for MOM Act will create grants to assist states in providing coordinated care through a maternal health-home for high-risk pregnant women on Medicaid. These maternal health homes would coordinate maternity care services and programs through the development of a comprehensive, patient-centered care plan.
The HEALTH for MOM Act was announced during a press conference at Primary Health Care in Des Moines, home to Iowa’s first pilot for a maternal health home. Video of the press conference can be found here.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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