The comprehensive plan, called the White House Plan to Tackle the Maternal Health Crisis, will be announced by Vice President Kamala Harris at an event in Plainfield, Illinois, according to senior officials familiar with the plans. Officers spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak about the plans before the event. Harris will be joined by a delegation from Congress, including Sen. Dick Durbin, Representative Lauren Underwood and Representative Robin Kelly, all Illinois Democrats.
Officials said the plan was needed now more than ever as the existing crisis was exacerbated by Covid-19. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Rowe v. Wade, large parts of the country will lose access to abortion care, which is expected to worsen people’s health outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth.
“You know that these ongoing attacks, including restrictions on abortion and even family planning, are really undermining women’s ability to be safe and healthy. The administration strongly believes that the ability to choose when and how to give birth is essential, “said one official.
The United States already has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. The rates of serious injuries and preventable health problems during childbirth are also high compared to levels in other countries.
These deaths and injuries disproportionately affected blacks and Indians.
“Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, and Native American women are more than twice as likely to die,” the official said.
Many U.S. rural areas also lost access to obstetric care when their hospitals closed and specialists relocated, creating deserts for maternal care.
“Women living in rural communities are one and a half times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, so we know this issue is crucial,” the official said.
The plan has five main objectives:
• Increase access to health care and coverage
• To address health bias so that women can be heard and respected when they express concerns
• To improve data collection
• Expanding and diversifying the medical workforce that cares for pregnant women
• To help low-income women who do not have economic and social support before, during and after pregnancy
It addresses many of the recognized causes of maternal ill health, including postpartum mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, lack of access to postpartum health care, addiction and substance abuse, poverty and racism, and health bias.
The plan calls on Congress to expand Medicaid coverage. Medicaid covers 42% of all births in the United States, but in many states it covers care only 60 days after a person gives birth to a baby. Fourteen states have expanded this coverage for an entire year. The vice president is expected to pressure Congress to make this a national requirement for all states.
“If all states did that, we would see 720,000 women get coverage,” an official said.
The plan will strengthen training for rural health care providers and fund training on implicit bias and racial discrimination.
He is setting up a new mental health hotline that will serve pregnant women and women with babies.
And that will facilitate access to social services by making it easier to enroll in federal housing, child care and income support programs, an official said.
It also includes protective equipment for mothers during work, including access to breastfeeding rooms and breaks for breastfeeding.
The vice president’s plan will be funded with $ 470 million allocated to the administrations’ budget for fiscal 2023.
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