Date: September 17, 2021
To:
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader
U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader
U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy:
The 244 undersigned organizations, dedicated to the health and well-being of birthing people and their families, write to express our enthusiastic support and appreciation for the maternal health provisions included in the Committee on Energy and Commerce print of the Build Back Better Act. We appreciate the Committee’s demonstrated commitment to addressing our nation’s maternal mortality crisis, which disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous people, through bold policies that will help us ensure that pregnant and postpartum people have access to critical resources, health care coverage, community- based and social supports, and the high quality health care they need in order to thrive. We urge you to swiftly enact these provisions and send them to the President’s desk. Our nation’s moms depend on it.
We are thrilled that a mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery, is included in the Build Back Better Act. Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage is fundamental to addressing the maternal mortality crisis. Medicaid is a primary payer of maternity care in the U.S., covering 43 percent of births nationwide.i Further, about one third of maternal deaths happen in the postpartum period.ii Yet, before the enactment of the state plan option in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Medicaid coverage based on pregnancy status ended at 60 days postpartum. Since the enactment of ARPA, many states have indicated they intend to pursue the state plan option; however, we remain concerned that many states will not act to provide 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage without a federal mandate.iii The evidence is clear that disruptions in insurance coverage during the postpartum period are contributing to adverse maternal health outcomes. We appreciate that the Build Back Better Act prioritizes moms by ensuring that every person across the nation who relies on Medicaid for pregnancy-related care will have the critical coverage they need during an extremely consequential time in their health. We strongly support this provision and urge its swift enactment.
Similarly, we are grateful that the Build Back Better Act includes robust investments in programs that take steps towards birth equity by centering the voices, needs, and preferences of Black and Indigenous individuals, who disproportionately experience inequities in maternal health. In particular, we are thrilled that provisions of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act have been included, with a focus on investing in community-based organizations, addressing social determinants of maternal health, expanding the perinatal workforce, addressing the impacts of climate change on maternal and infant health, increasing community engagement in maternal mortality review committees, supporting targeted research at Minority-Serving Institutions, investing in maternal mental health, and improving the provision of culturally congruent care. These historic investments are critical to improving Black maternal health. We urge Congress to swiftly advance these provisions to enactment.
Thank you again for your continued commitment to addressing the maternal mortality crisis and improving maternal health. We urge Congress to swiftly enact these important provisions.
Sincerely,
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
1,000 Days
2020 Mom
A Better Balance
Abide Women’s Health Services
Abilities Plus Inc
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Access Esperanza Clinics
Acclaim Physician Group
Advocate Aurora Health
AFE Foundation
African American Breastfeeding Network Inc.
Alliance for Black NICU Families
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
Alliance to End Hunger
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Nursing
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of Birth Centers
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology District XI (Texas)
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
American College of Physicians
American Federation of Teachers
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Heart Association
American Nurses Association
American Organization for Nursing Leadership
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
Ancient Song Doula Services
Anxiety & Depression Association of America
APS Foundation of America, Inc
Arkansas Birthing Project
Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare
Association for Community Affiliated Plans
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Black Cardiologists
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Association of State Public Health Nutritionists
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
AVANCE-Houston, Inc.
Baby Cafe USA
Babyscripts
Birth Supporters United
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
Blue Shield of California
Boston Medical Center
BreastfeedLA
California Breastfeeding Coalition
California Nurse-Midwives Association
Catholic Health Association of the United States
Center for American Progress
Center for Reproductive Rights
Centering Healthcare Institute
CHILDREN AT RISK
Children's Defense Fund
Children's Defense Fund - Texas
Children's Health Fund
Children's HealthWatch
Circle Up, United Methodist Women
Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Collaborative for Children
Colorado Children's Campaign
Common Good Iowa
COMMONSENSE CHILDBIRTH
Community Catalyst
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
Council For A Strong America, Texas
Covis Pharma
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)
Doula Philosophy
Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project
Duke Health
Easterseals
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Enhanced Childbirth
Equitable Maternal Health Coalition
Every Body Texas
Every Mother Counts
Every Texan (formerly CPPP)
Families USA
Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce
Federation of American Hospitals
First Focus Campaign for Children
First3Years
Friendly Temple Church
GALS Austin
GLO Preemies
Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice
Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights (GRR!)
Guideline Central
Healing Hands Community Doula Project
Health Care Transformation Task Force
HealthConnect One
Healthy Futures of Texas
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
HealthyWomen
Hemophilia Federation of America
Hospital Quality Institute
IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA)
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
International OCD Foundation
Irth-Birth Without Bias
Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
Kansas Action for Children
Kansas Birth Equity Network
Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
Lamaze International
Legacy Community Health
Lifeline for Families Center at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
LinkedInclusion
Luna Tierra Casa de Partos
Majaica, LLC
Mama Peace
Mamas on Bedrest & Beyond
Mamatoto Village
Marcé of North America (MONA)
March for Moms
March of Dimes
Maternal Applications of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
Maternity Care Coalition
Melinated Moms
Mental Health America
Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Mom Congress
Momma’s Village-Fayetteville, Inc
Moms Clean Air Force
MomsRising
MS Black Women's Roundtable
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Association for Children's Behavioral Health
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Rural Health Clinics
National Association of Social Workers - Texas Chapter
National Blood Clot Alliance
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Jewish Women - Pittsburgh Section
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
National Health Law Program
National Healthy Start Association
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
National League for Nursing
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Perinatal Task Force
National Rural Health Association
National Urban League
National WIC Association
NC Child
NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
Nurse-Family Partnership
Nzuri Doula Services
Nzuri Malkia Birth Collective
Oklahoma Policy Institute
Oral Health Kansas, Inc.
PA Coalition for Oral Health
Parents as Teachers
Partners In Health
Patient Safety Movement Foundation
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Physician Assistant Education Association
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Postpartum Support International
Postpartum Support International Alaska Chapter
Power to Decide
Preeclampsia Foundation
PreemieWorld, LLC
Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas
Prevention Institute
Preventive Cardiovasular Nurses Association
Primary Maternity Care
Prolacta Bioscience
Restoring Our Own Transformation (ROOTT)
RESULTS
RI International, Inc.
riskLD, Inc.
Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Sista Midwife Productions
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
Society for Women's Health Research
Star Legacy Foundation
Start Early
Teaching Hospitals of Texas
Tennessee Justice Center
Texans Care for Children
Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Association of Community Health Plans
Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Texas Chapter Postpartum Support International
Texas Council on Family Violence
Texas Medical Association
Texas Pediatric Society, the Texas Chapter of the AAP
Texas Women's Foundation
Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition
TexProtects
The 2 Degrees Foundation
The Community Health Acceleration Partnership
The Community Outcomes Fund at Maycomb Capital
The Episcopal Church
The Fibroid Foundation
The Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery
The Joint Commission
The Kennedy Forum
The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
The PPROM Foundation
The Root Cause Coalition
Trust for America's Health
Trying Together
U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
Union for Reform Judaism
United Way for Greater Austin
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
United Ways of Texas
University Health
Urban Baby Beginnings
Urban Mommy INC
Virginia Health Catalyst
Wayne State University
What to Expect Project
Women Veterans Interactive
Women’s & Men’s Health Services Coastal Bend
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Wyoming Women's Action Network
Young Invincibles
i Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. Medicaid’s Role in Financing Maternity Care. January 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Medicaid%E2%80%99s-Role-in-Financing-Maternity-Care.pdf
ii Petersen EE, Davis NL, Goodman D, et al. Vital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, United States, 2011–2015, and Strategies for Prevention, 13 States, 2013–2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:423–429.
iii American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Extend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage. Available at: https://www.acog.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/extend-postpartum-medicaid-coverage