Sign in Subscribe
Social services

Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard and Jaime Herrera Beutler Secure Funding for Maternity Care Priorities in FY 2021 Appropriations Bill

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard and Jaime Herrera Beutler, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care, have successfully advocated for the inclusion of key maternity care priorities in the FY 2021 domestic appropriations bill, HR 7617. The bill includes funding for various programs aimed at improving maternal and infant health, reducing health disparities, and promoting optimal maternity care for all families in the United States. The congresswomen's efforts prioritize the health and safety of mothers and babies, particularly in communities of color, where the maternal mortality crisis and health disparities are most pronounced.

Key Takeaways:

  • The FY 2021 domestic appropriations bill, HR 7617, includes funding for key maternity care priorities advocated by Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard and Jaime Herrera Beutler.
  • The bill allocates $712.7 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, $130 million for the Healthy Start Program, and $68 million for the CDC Safe Motherhood Programs, among others.
  • These funding priorities support initiatives to promote maternal, infant, and child health, reduce health disparities, and improve maternity care for low-income and disadvantaged pregnant women and their families.
  • The bill also includes language directing CMS to develop a proposal to increase access to birth centers and midwives in all state Medicaid programs and urging HHS to develop a coordinated Department-wide strategy to address maternal mortality and prematurity.
  • The congresswomen's efforts have been ongoing since 2015, when they co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care to raise awareness about the challenges facing America's maternity care system.
  • The U.S. spends significantly more per capita on childbirth than any other industrialized nation but ranks far behind in healthy birth outcomes for mothers and babies.

Statistics:

  • The FY 2021 domestic appropriations bill, HR 7617, allocates $712.7 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.
  • The bill allocates $130 million for the Healthy Start Program, which supports low-income and disadvantaged pregnant women and their families.
  • The CDC Safe Motherhood Programs receive $68 million in funding, with $22 million to expand maternal mortality review committees.
  • The U.S. sees 700 maternal deaths annually due to pregnancy or delivery complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
  • The country also has unacceptably high rates of preterm births, cesarean sections, and stillbirths, and fails to adequately diagnose and treat postpartum depression.
  • The Maternity Care Caucus was founded in 2015 by Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard and Jaime Herrera Beutler to raise awareness about the challenges facing America's maternity care system.

Sources:

  • United States House of Representatives -- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
  • MIL OSI USA News (http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/) - Copyright 2020 Multimedia Investments Ltd, distributed by Contify.com

Read more