Help Us Get Maternal Mortality Review Legislation Across the Finish Line
The maternal health crisis in the United States has been front and center with the recent swell of media attention. And with good reason — the situation for mothers in this country is unacceptable. Maternal deaths and severe complications from pregnancy and childbirth are on the rise, and the burden is even greater for women of color and women in low-income communities.
So what can we do to help mothers in America? We can start by making sure that every maternal death is counted and reviewed to prevent similar problems in the future.
Every Mother Counts is standing behind federal legislation to put systems in place to do just that. The Maternal Health Accountability Act and Preventing Maternal Deaths Act (S.1112 and H.R.1318) supports states in setting up maternal mortality review committees to ensure that all maternal deaths are identified and analyzed, and that recommendations are made to improve maternity care.
To date, about 40% of states have yet to establish these systems. The bill would ensure that new committees are set up following established best practices, such as including a range of clinical and public health experts from multiple disciplines, patient advocates, and community members.
The bills already have strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and House of Representatives. We are joining with our partners at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Nurse Midwives, March for Moms, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the March of Dimes, the Preeclampsia Foundation, and many others to support this legislation. With the recent pressure to improve maternity care and outcomes in the United States, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee could vote on the bill in late June, moving this legislation forward.
Every Mother Counts has a long history with this legislation. We were at the table alongside Amnesty International USA in 2011, when this legislation was first introduced, and now it’s closer to passing than ever before.
That’s why we need your help to make change happen.
Your voice can make a difference by showing your members of Congress that maternal health is a top priority! TAKE ACTION TODAY by contacting your legislators and urging them to support S. 1112 and H.R. 1318 so that mothers in the United States survive and thrive in pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond.