The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act is a package of twelve bills addressing the maternal health crisis in the U.S. In the richest nation on earth, moms are dying at the highest rate in the developed world – and the rate is rising.¹ As dire as the situation is for all women and birthing people, the crisis is most severe for Black moms, who are dying at 3 to 4 times the rate of their White counterparts.

Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death,² PCNA strongly supports the passage of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.

What's in the Bill?

1. Make critical investments in social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition.
2. Provide funding to community-based organizations that are working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity.
3. Comprehensively study the unique maternal health risks facing pregnant and postpartum veterans and support VA maternity care coordination programs.
4. Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that every mom in America receives culturally congruent maternity care and support.
5. 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.
6. Support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
7. Improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
8. Invest in digital tools like telehealth to improve maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.
9. Promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical perinatal support.
10. Invest in federal programs to address the unique risks for and effects of COVID-19 during and after pregnancy and to advance respectful maternity care in future public health emergencies.
11. Invest in community-based initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to climate change-related risks for moms and babies.
12. Promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health and safety of moms and babies.

Progress

One provision of the Momnibus Act, the Protecting Moms Who Serve Act, was signed into law in 2021. The law invests $15 million in maternal care coordination at VA facilities and commissions a comprehensive study on maternal health issues veterans are facing.

All remaining provisions of the bill have passed in the House of Representatives, which means that now the Senate must act for the bill to become a law. Contact your Senator today and ask them to support the Momnibus Act.

As the most trusted profession in the country, nurses have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their patients through public policy. Decision-makers in government rely on nurses’ expertise to understand complex health issues and the impact on their patients.