Women’s healthcare is in desperate need of major reform especially given our current political climate. Seervai (2019) wrote, “women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die in childbirth than those in Sweden and Norway and are more emotionally distressed than women in Germany or France (para. 2).” The healthcare policy that I chose to review is the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, H. R. 959 (2022). Health Policy Discussion Response Essay Paper

The bill was proposed to develop racial and minority maternal health, veterans, vulnerable populations, and covid associated maternal health issues (H. R., 2022). For maternal health, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to tackle aspects of childcare, housing, food, transportation, and environmental conditions (para. 2). The bill requires the HHS to promote diversity amongst maternal healthcare staff and award grants for perinatal care, training, technology, and telehealth to increase access (para. 5). Additionally, the bill will also increase research on maternal morbidity and mortality among minority groups in the U.S (para. 6).

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The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act was proposed to address many different racial disparities present in women’s health care. The bill will help address the high maternal mortality rate by requiring more research as black women are 3-4 times more likely to die during childbirth than white mothers in the U.S (Black Maternal Health Caucus, n.d.). Mothers did not have access to maternal care postpartum via Medicaid coverage and the bill will require up to 24 months of postpartum maternal care (para. 2). Healthcare implicit biases have shown to impact maternal health outcomes and the bill will now require maternal health facilities to diversify their staff (para. 4). Social determinants of health like housing and food will now be invested in to help improve maternal health outcomes. Maternal health care has shown a crucial need for research and investment from the government. I am curious and excited to see how this bill will influence maternal health outcomes in the future. Health Policy Discussion Response Essay Paper

Health policy discussion response

Health policy reform is among the vital components in every healthcare system especially among the vulnerable populations. As compared to Sweden and Norway, I agree with you that most women are likely to die in the process of childbearing in US. Most of these women are the black women who are prone to racial discrimination while receiving healthcare services. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, H. R. 959 is one of the best proposed healthcare policy that best describes the interventions of health problems of women during childbearing period. The major aim of the bill was to intervene on issues related to racial and minority maternal health as you have stated since most Black American women who are more prone to racial discrimination experience high mortality during childbearing than the white women (Arbuckle, 2021). What is the reflected annual approximate cost of the bill towards its purpose?

In areas related to maternal health, I agree with you that the bill mandates Health and Human Services (HHS) to intervene in areas such as housing, childcare, food, transportation and environmental conditions. Through the bill, the HHS is also mandated to equip their entire healthcare team with the necessary knowledge required in maternal health such as telehealth and perinatal care which increases health access to all individuals (Ulrich, 2022). It is therefore a bill that will encourage more research towards mortality associated with maternal health. I am glad to have read your post and have gained a lot concerning the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, H. R. 959.

References

Arbuckle, S. (2021). All Aboard the Momnibus: Will Congress’ Proposed Legislative Package

Help Drive Down Black Maternal Mortality Rates?. SMU Science and Technology Law

            Review, 24(2), 413.https://scholar.smu.edu/scitech/vol24/iss2/8

Ulrich, S. (2022). Scaling the Strong Start Birth Centers: Promoting Equitable Maternity

Outcomes. American Journal of Public Health, 112(5), 712-715.

https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306802

Health Policy Discussion Response Essay Paper