Indiana Senate Democrats introduce "momnibus" bill
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Indiana is one of 24 states that saw preterm birth rates rise from 2022 to 2023.
The big picture: For the third year in a row, high preterm birth rates earned the U.S. a D+ in a March of Dimes report on the state of maternal and infant health.
- The report, released late last year, found that Black, Latina, Native American and Pacific Islander women experience disproportionate rates of preterm births, infant mortality and maternal deaths.
- People in the South and Midwest experience the worst outcomes.
Driving the news: Indiana's Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to address the state's maternal health crisis.
- The "momnibus" bill would mandate Medicaid reimbursement for doula services, which caucus leader Sen. Shelli Yoder said have been proven to improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
- "With Medicaid covering over half of all births in Indiana and nearly 24% of our counties classified as maternal care deserts, this is a vital step to ensure no mother or baby is left behind," she said at a press conference last week.
- The bill would also expand postpartum mental health care, establish a stillbirth prevention pilot and create a behavioral health helpline for mothers.
Reality check: There are only 10 democrats in the 50-member Senate, meaning the bill will need Republican support to get anywhere.
By the numbers: March of Dimes says "an alarmingly high preterm birth rate" is one of the contributing factors "to maternal and infant mortality and morbidity."
- The rate of preterm births, defined as those happening before week 37 of gestation, was 10.4% in the U.S. during 2023, according to the report.
- In Indiana, the rate is 11% — up from 9.6% a decade ago.
The infant mortality rate rose in 2022 for the first time in two decades, the report says, in line with other studies carried out after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.
- March of Dimes says the national rate reached 5.6 deaths per 1,000 births nationally, with most cases in the South and Midwest.
- In Indiana, the rate was 7.2%, meaning 570 babies died before their first birthday.
The bottom line: Indiana received a D on the report card.
- Medicaid reimbursement for doula services and postpartum mental health screening are among the March of Dimes' recommendations for improving the state's grade and outcomes.