Rep. Sykes Joins Reintroduction of Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to Address America’s Maternal Health Crisis

Rep. Sykes Joins Reintroduction of Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to Address America's Maternal Health Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) announced today that she is cosponsoring the reintroduced Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a comprehensive legislative package to address the United States' maternal health crisis and improve outcomes for moms and babies nationwide.

"I am proud to stand with my colleagues in reintroducing the Mominbus Act. This landmark legislation is a testament to our commitment to supporting mothers and families across our great nation. By addressing critical issues such as maternal healthcare, affordable childcare, paid family leave, and economic empowerment for women, the Momnibus Act not only recognizes the invaluable role mothers play in our society but also takes meaningful steps to ensure their well-being and success," said Rep. Sykes.

"During my time as Minority Leader of the Ohio House, I co-founded the first Ohio Black Maternal Health Caucus to improve infant and maternal mortality in my home state, which has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country. There is still much work to be done to address this national public health issue, but as a cosponsor of this bill, I am proud to put forward a legislative solution that will support mothers and help end the maternal mortality crisis in America."

In Ohio, the maternal mortality rate is 24.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is higher than the national average of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. The maternal mortality rate for Black women in Ohio is even higher, at 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, almost three times the national average. Additionally, the rates of maternal mortality in rural Ohio warrant grave concern. Thirteen of 88 counties are maternity care deserts, and approximately 97,000 women have been impacted by overall reductions in access to care in the past several years. Several Northeast Ohio counties, including Holmes, Tuscarawas, Coshocton, and Ashtabula, are considered to have low access; Portage County's only maternity unit closed in Ravenna, and Summa's maternity unit also closed in Barberton last year. The lack of any maternity care in those counties, coupled with barriers to accessing care farther away, leads to poor health outcomes for mothers and babies.

The $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid included in Republicans' One Big Ugly Bill will also have a devastating impact on access to health care, especially reproductive health care. Medicaid covers about 40 percent of all births in Ohio and nearly 70 percent of all births for Black women in Ohio. This legislation creates burdensome paperwork requirements for patients, cuts funding for hospitals, and prohibits Medicaid funding at Planned Parenthood clinics, which are critical sources of health care.

The Momnibus is made up of 14 bills. The legislation will:

1. Make critical investments in social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, such as housing, transportation, and nutrition.
2. Extend WIC eligibility in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods.
3. Provide funding to community-based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity.
4. Increase funding for programs to improve maternal health care for veterans.
5. Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that every mom in America receives maternal health care and support from people they trust.
6. Improve data collection processes and quality measures to better understand the causes of the maternal health crisis in the United States and inform solutions to address it.
7. Support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
8. Improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
9. Invest in digital tools to improve maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.
10. Promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical support during and after pregnancy.
11. Invest in federal programs to address maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.
12. Invest in community-based initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to climate change-related risks for moms and babies.
13. Invest in research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths, end disparities, and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
14. Promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health of moms and babies.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, a trend that continues to get worse-and Black women are three times more likely to die. But there is hope: More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

The Momnibus is designed to end preventable maternal death in America by ending maternal health disparities, growing and diversifying the perinatal health workforce, expanding access to maternal mental health and substance use care, lowering health care costs, investing in technological solutions, closing research gaps, improving data collection, and providing direct federal funding for local community-based organizations that improve maternal health outcomes.

A one-page summary of the Momnibus can be found here. Additional information about the individual bills in the Momnibus can be found here.