When healthcare access shrinks, maternal mortality grows
Somehow, as a country that prides itself on technological innovation, the U.S. continues to fail its women, and especially, its mothers. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates compared to peer countries. In 2023, the CDC reported a ratio of 18.7 deaths per 100,000 live births. In comparison, the World Health Organization reported that on average for other high income countries the maternal mortality rate was 10 deaths per 100,000 live births. Even though our peer countries have demonstrated it is possible to bring the maternal mortality rate down, the U.S. continues to pass public policy that is detrimental to maternal health.
The World Health Organization defines maternal death as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy”. According to a report published by the Common Wealth Fund, two-thirds of U.S. pregnancy-related deaths occur after birth. Tragically, the majority of maternal deaths in the United States are preventable. Additionally, maternal mortality disproportionately affects Black women in the United States. The MMR for Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, which was over three times the MMR for White women (14.5 deaths). These startling statistics are the result of a number of issues with the United States healthcare system, including the lack of education, physician shortages, insufficient insurance coverage and systemic racism.
Unfortunately, recent United States policy is causing more harm than help to people who are pregnant. President Trump recently passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. This act cuts funding to Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace, making it more difficult for pregnant women to access essential care. Given the importance of the post-partum period, insurance coverage is vital for many women to be able to afford the frequent but necessary doctors visits. The WHO recommends at least four “health contacts” in the first six weeks following giving birth, but a study done by the NIH found that around half of postpartum individuals in the United States don’t receive routine care post-partum. Medicaid currently provides the option for states to expand coverage to over a year post-partum, but reducing federal funding may result in the loss of post-partum care for many women. States that have not chosen to expand Medicaid eligibility under the ACA have seen much higher rates of maternal mortality. If the One Big Beautiful Bill cuts Medicaid funding, we will likely see an increase in maternal mortality rates across the country.
In 2022, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned the federal protection of abortion. Another study done by the NIH found that states with more restrictive abortion policies are associated with higher maternal mortality rates. These bans have also been found to exacerbate maternal health disparities present among Black and Hispanic women. Restrictions on abortion access may lead to some women seeking dangerous, illegal abortions not performed by trained medical professionals. Lack of abortion access may also cause women to be forced to carry babies to term even though it is detrimental to their own health. Unwanted pregnancies can lead to other negative health outcomes including the inability to afford necessary medical care due to financial strain caused by more mouths to feed.
Women in the United States are dying unnecessarily. To reduce maternal mortality rates, lawmakers must make some big public policy changes. Instead of cutting funding to Medicaid, they should expand eligibility of recipients. As well as continuing to expand coverage to at least a year post-partum to ensure all women have access to post-partum care. Instead of restricting abortion access, lawmakers should protect women’s access to all necessary medical procedures associated with pregnancy including abortion. I urge everyone in America, especially women, to demand lawmakers take steps to address the maternal mortality rate.
Works Referenced:
World Health Organization: Maternal Morality
Health E-Stat 100: Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023
Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison
Health Insurance Coverage and Postpartum Outcomes in the US
Changes to Medicaid, the ACA and other Key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act