Heartland Forward targets maternal mortality — but Arkansas lags
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Bentonville's Heartland Forward launched a drive to slash U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years.
Why it matters: Maternal deaths in the U.S. have more than doubled since the 1980s, and the country now has the highest rate in the developed world. About 84% of the deaths are preventable and roughly 65% happen after childbirth.
- "This is a national emergency," authors of the group's call-to-action document write.
State of play: Heartland Forward research highlights gaps between awareness and action.
- The nonprofit says 88% of Americans recognize maternal mortality as a serious issue, but awareness is lowest in the communities most affected.
- More than two-thirds support increased federal funding, Medicaid expansion and paid family leave to help protect mothers and babies, Heartland's data shows.
What they're saying: "It was more dangerous for me when I gave birth to my kids than when my mom gave birth to me in the '80s," Olivia Walton told Axios' Mike Allen.
- "That's nuts … and it doesn't have to be that way."
What they're doing: Heartland Forward's Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America initiative lays out a road map to achieve the goal by expanding prenatal and postpartum care, and making maternal health good business.
- The plan relies on reforms at the state level and a phased approach focused on access, delivery of health care and outcome-based accountability.
Stunning stat: Arkansas' maternal mortality rate was the fourth-highest in the U.S. during 2018–2022, and its infant mortality rate was the second-highest in 2023, according to the CDC.
Zoom in: Public health leaders have struggled to reverse this trend for years. In 2024, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders created the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, and last year introduced the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act that will invest $45 million a year in maternal health, according to her office.
- Still, Arkansas is the only state that has not extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year.
- Women can receive Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days if they qualify in one of Arkansas' Medicaid expansion programs, ARHOME or through an employer.
"Gov. Sanders isn't interested in headline-grabbing policies or duplicative government programs that don't actually change maternal health outcomes," Sanders' spokesperson Sam Dubke wrote to Axios in response to a question about why the state hasn't extended the coverage to a year.
What we're watching: State Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) told Axios he's interested in bringing a one-year postpartum coverage bill back to lawmakers in the next general session, which is in 2027.
- He's looking into using tobacco settlement money to help pay for the coverage.