MOMNIBUS bill package would help save Black mamas’ lives

lack maternal health has been neglected for too long. Passing thoughtful measures like those in the MOMNIBUS package can help Pennsylvania shed its reputation as being an unhealthy place for expecting families. And it can help all mothers have safer pregnancies, so families start off healthy and strong.

Rep. Joanna E. McClinton    May 6, 2024 | 1:13 PM

In April, Pennsylvania recognized Black Maternal Health Week, and the state Capitol welcomed stakeholders from across the state for a series of events including a public hearing, educational roundtable, and a movie screening.

Pennsylvania’s recognition was part of a national movement to draw attention and advance solutions to the Black maternal health crisis in the United States, where Black women are two to three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related issue than white women.

Here in Pennsylvania, Black mothers have a pregnancy-associated mortality rate of 148 per 100,000, nearly twice as much as white mothers, whose rate is 81 per 100,000. This disparity is the result of systemic racism, gender-based bias, and barriers to health care access. Doctors estimate that 92% of these deaths are preventable.

While these are sobering statistics, Pennsylvania has new tools in the fight to reverse these trends. 

Last summer, after advocacy from the PA House Democratic Caucus, Pennsylvania passed the Maternal Mortality Review Act to improve maternal health and maternal mortality data collection.  Better data can drive women’s health policies and help health care professionals and families make decisions about medical care.

Then in October 2023, the legislature established the Black Maternal Health Caucus. The caucus is a group of state lawmakers from the House and Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, who introduce and advocate for policies to improve Black maternal health. It was founded by my colleagues and leaders on this issue, state Reps. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., Gina H. Curry, D- Delaware, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny. I am proud to be a member of the group.

Now, we’re advocating for a package of eight bills, called the MOMNIBUS. These bills would improve maternal health and save lives in Pennsylvania.

During BMHW, I joined other members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and stakeholders including Pennsylvania’s Second Lady Blayre Davis and Philadelphia Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson at a news conference to support the MOMNIBUS legislation, because Black and being pregnant should not be a death sentence. It should be an opportunity for joy. It should be a reason to celebrate.

Some MOMNIBUS bills are already making their way through the legislature, including one that would expand Medical Assistance programs to cover home blood pressure monitors (H.B. 2097). At-home monitors are a useful tool for detecting hypertension, which is common in pregnant people but if left untreated can lead to severe pregnancy complications. Early detection and intervention can keep mothers safe.

Another bill (H.B. 1608) would extend Medicaid coverage to doula services and create an advisory board to craft best practices and accreditation standards for doulas in Pennsylvania.  Doulas are non-medical, trained professionals who provide emotional, informational, and physical support before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth. Some have been specifically trained in cultural competence. Doulas have been praised by medical professionals as helping to improve maternal health outcomes.

Black maternal health has been neglected for too long. Passing thoughtful measures like those in the MOMNIBUS package can help Pennsylvania shed its reputation as being an unhealthy place for expecting families. And it can help all mothers have safer pregnancies, so families start off healthy and strong.  And healthy and strong families are what keep Pennsylvania thriving.

It’s time to get on the bus – the MOMNIBUS! For more information, visit pahouse.com/BMH.

PA Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton represents portions of Philadelphia and Delaware County. She is the first woman and second African American to serve as speaker of the nation’s oldest, continuously operating state legislative body.