Hogan should sign bills helping Md. moms
This week many of us have faced the proverbial question: What to get mom for Mother’s Day? A perennial favorite of flowers or a nicely framed photograph? Perhaps a unique piece of art or a gift card to one of our many delicious restaurants?
These are all great ideas that would make my mom certainly smile. But this year, in addition to one of these physical gift suggestions, I am excited to share with my mom (and millions more moms statewide) some of our legislative wins from this year’s Maryland General Assembly that will help women for generations to come.
With the outstanding leadership of the historic number of women and young parents serving in our legislature from communities across the state, this year we were able to make real progress in supporting new mothers. I’d like to highlight legislation that I proudly sponsored and voted green on while thinking of my own mom and constituents of District 30 who had shared their personal challenges with me.
Two years ago, doctors from Anne Arundel Medical Center visited my office and broke into tears describing a normal, yet completely preventable occurrence: women coming to the Emergency Room ready to give birth who had never had the opportunity for a prenatal care visit. Sadly, this isn’t a problem exclusive to Anne Arundel County. Statewide, more than 7% of pregnant women received late or no prenatal care.
Hearing these stories makes it easier to understand how, despite having a world class health system, Maryland is home to devastatingly high rates of infant and maternal mortality. According to the CDC, Maryland’s 2013 to 2017 maternal mortality rate of 24.8 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births ranks 22nd among states. Also startling and unacceptable is the fact that African American mothers are four times as likely to die during childbirth than white mothers. For infant and neonatal mortality, Maryland ranks 35th and 39th among states, respectively, significantly higher than the national rate.
We can and must do more to solve this problem. Two pieces of recently passed legislation that help protect new moms and newborn Marylanders are currently sitting on Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk awaiting his signature into law.
Senate Bill 777, legislation that I had the honor of sponsoring, creates the Maryland Prenatal and Infant Care Grant Program and dedicates more than $6 million in the coming years to fund critical prenatal care for mothers who are underinsured or uninsured at Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and county health departments. There are real economic benefits to investing in prenatal care. For every dollar spent on prenatal care, we save an estimated $3.33, primarily through reduced spending for low birthweight and preterm infants.
Senate Bill 923, sponsored by Sen. Mary Washington of Baltimore City, extends crucial Medicaid coverage to new mothers from the current 60 days to a full year or 12-month period. A majority of the pregnancy-related deaths are preventable and often stem from lack of coverage and access to care during the critical time following birth or from changes in coverage that can disrupt the continuity of care.
Approximately 60% of pregnancy-related deaths reviewed by state maternal mortality review committees from 2011 to 2015 were preventable, regardless of race. To improve the health for both mothers and babies, this bill’s extension of coverage will alleviate some of the postpartum issues since nearly half of all U.S. births are financed by Medicaid. Gov. Larry Hogan agreed with this policy goal and already funded the first year of the extension.
Both of these bills passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support because of the leadership of Sens. Washington, Addie Eckhardt and Melony Griffith and Dels. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Sheree SampleHughes and Erek L. Barron.
Looking back over the past three years of serving in the Maryland Senate, I can honestly say that Senate Bill 777 is the most consequential bill I’ve introduced and helped shepherd to passage. Senate Bill 923 will also undoubtedly save and improve lives for decades to come. Both bills will help ensure healthy moms, healthy pregnancies, and healthy babies.
For this Mother’s Day, I hope the governor agrees and signs these bills into law as a gift to Maryland mothers and families.