Courtesy of Protect Our Care

April 11 marked the first day of Black Maternal Health Week, a critical reminder that the U.S. is facing a devastating maternal health crisis. Women in America are dying at a higher rate than women in any other high-income country, and Black women are two to three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related causes. Access to lifesaving care is increasingly more difficult as one-third of U.S. counties are considered maternity care deserts. Complications related to pregnancy led to over 700 deaths in 2022, most of them preventable.

While Democrats have worked tirelessly to improve the health of mothers and their families, Republicans are proposing to cut Medicaid and Marketplace coverage, which would throw millions of women off their health plans. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to blocking these proposals and is dedicated to expanding and improving maternal health care. The White House released the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, a government-wide strategy to cut the rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and reduce disparities among maternal health outcomes. In addition, the administration has worked to expand the number of states offering or planning to offer a full year of postpartum Medicaid coverage from 13 states in 2021 to 47 states and the District of Columbia.

In recognition of Black Maternal Health Week, Protect Our Care Policy and Health Equity Senior Advisor Joi Chaney issued the following statement: 

“Black moms across the nation are facing a maternal mortality crisis that is heartbreaking and largely preventable. What’s worse, and more insulting, is that this crisis comes at a time when Republican attacks on reproductive health and abortion are at their height and reproductive freedom and justice is at its lowest in a generation. President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken action to improve maternal health outcomes for all women and close disparities for Black women and other women of color by lowering health care costs, expanding Medicaid coverage, diversifying the perinatal workforce, strengthening social and economic support for pregnant women and new parents, and supporting postpartum health, including mental health. They understand what it means to truly have family values, and that starts with prioritizing maternal health.”

(Protect Our Care is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable and equitable health care a right, and not a privilege, for everyone in America. We educate the public, influence policy, support health care champions and hold politicians accountable. We fight to expand access to affordable, high-quality health insurance, lower the cost of health care for individuals and families, and reduce inequities in health care based on gender, income, race, ethnicity, geography, or sexual preference. Visit their website to learn more.)