WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) led the introduction of the Social Determinants for Moms Act to identify social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition. This legislation will establish a whole of government task force to address the maternal health crisis. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Angela Alsobrooks are introducing the legislation in the Senate.
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, a trend that continues to get worse. Black women, the maternal mortality rate in 2023 was 50.3 – nearly 3.5 times the maternal mortality rate for white women. Fortunately, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. The Social Determinants for Moms Act is working to address these preventable pregnancy-related deaths.
This bill is part of the Momnibus Act, introduced by Representatives Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams (NC-12) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). The Momnibus Act is 14 bills that comprehensively address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States.
“Black women in America are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. Long-standing inequities in housing, transportation, and nutrition are directly linked to maternal health,” said Congresswoman Hayes. "In the wealthiest country in history, women should have access to high-quality health care and the ability to give birth with peace of mind. We can invest directly in efforts aimed at addressing the social determinants of health, allowing us to begin eliminating generations of disparities and ultimately saving lives.”
“Social barriers like inadequate access to healthy food and affordable housing play a critical role in how mothers recover from childbirth. This bill makes invests in all the nonmedical factors that impact mothers during and after pregnancy. By creating a whole-of-government task force to address the maternal health crisis in our country, the Social Determinants for Moms Act establishes an interdisciplinary approach to reduce maternal mortality and save lives. Every mother deserves to have a safe and healthy pregnancy—regardless of where they live and work, their ethnicity, or anything else,” said Senator Blumenthal.
“Moms are dying in America – both from a lack of access to health care and because of social determinants like racial discrimination, housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation. It is unacceptable. American mothers deserve better. I am proud to partner with Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman Hayes to make essential federal investments to address the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes for moms,” said Senator Alsobrooks.
Momnibus Act
The Momnibus Act is made up of fourteen bills. The legislation will:
- Make critical investments in social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition.
- Extend WIC eligibility in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods.
- Provide funding to community-based organizations that are working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity.
- Increase funding for programs to improve maternal health care for veterans.
- Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that every mom in America receives maternal health care and support from people they trust.
- 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.
- Support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
- Improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
- Invest in digital tools to improve maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.
- Promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical support during and after pregnancy.
- Invest in federal programs to address maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.
- Invest in community-based initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to climate change-related risks for moms and babies.
- Invest in research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths, end disparities, and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
- Promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health of moms and babies.