PRESS RELEASE: Providers, Advocates, and Legislators Call For Equitable Maternal Postpartum Care | September 14, 2021

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Karissa Hand

Cell: 508-406-8186

BOSTON – On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing heard testimony from health care providers, health care advocates and legislators in support of ​​An Act relative to expanding equitable access to maternal postpartum care (HB 1297/SB 799). The bill, which is sponsored by Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Liz Miranda, would extend postpartum coverage under MassHealth from 60 days to 12 months to ensure that pregnant and birthing individuals receive the care they need and to help combat rising maternal mortality rates.

“Massachusetts had sub-optimal maternal health outcomes long before COVID-19, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. That is why it is more important than ever to ensure that perinatal individuals have access to the care they need,” said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem). “It’s long past time to prioritize the health and well-being of pregnant and birthing individuals in the Commonwealth by expanding postpartum coverage under MassHealth.”

“Maternal health care is both a public health crisis and a racial justice issue – across the country and here in Massachusetts,” said Representative Liz Miranda (D-Boston). “Six out of ten zip codes in the state with troubling Black maternal health outcomes are in my district. It’s time to bridge maternal health care and racial justice to save more Black lives, and a critical step to doing so is extending postpartum coverage under MassHealth to one year.”

Maternal mortality is a growing crisis in the United States. In Massachusetts, pregnancy-associated mortality increased 33% between 2012 and 2014, and pregnancy-related deaths are increasing at an alarming rate nationwide. People of Color are more likely than white individuals to die or experience serious illness and injury due to pregnancy-related causes. For example, Black birthing individuals have pregnancy-related mortality rates that are over three times higher than the rate for white birthing individuals. Many others suffer long-term negative health outcomes postpartum. For every person who dies from pregnancy-related causes, another 70 suffer from severe physical illness or disability, including behavioral health conditions.

“Health Care For All often receives calls to our HelpLine from Massachusetts residents who are struggling to access care while pregnant or after giving birth. It’s clear that maternal health has wide-ranging impacts on the birthing person themselves, their families and their communities,” said Yaminah Romulus, Policy Manager at Health Care For All. “An Act relative to expanding equitable access to maternal postpartum care is a tangible policy to help address the maternal racial health inequities that have long existed and have been exacerbated by the pandemic. In order to live up to our reputation as a national health care leader, Massachusetts must invest in equitable maternal health care.”

Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, and Medicaid plays an important role in improving maternal and perinatal outcomes. Timely postpartum visits provide an opportunity to address chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension; mental health status, including postpartum depression; and substance use disorders. Unfortunately, pregnant and birthing individuals eligible for MassHealth partly based on pregnancy are only eligible to receive coverage during their pregnancy and for 60 days postpartum, which is not sufficient to address the medical and behavioral health needs of the postpartum period.

An Act relative to expanding equitable access to maternal postpartum care would address this by extending postpartum coverage under MassHealth from 60 days to 12 months. This would set the stage for continuous coverage during a critical time, impacting the long-term health and well-being of pregnant and birthing individuals, their families and their communities.

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