Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) in reintroducing a comprehensive bill to improve maternal health outcomes, reverse the trend of rising maternal mortality rates, and close disparities that put Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and their kids at greater risk of adverse health outcomes. The Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services (MOMMIES) Act would build upon recent advancements in Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum people that Senator Baldwin helped secure in the recently-passed American Rescue Plan Act. Specifically, the MOMMIES Act would expand coverage for pregnant people covered by Medicaid – which covers nearly half of all births in the U.S. – by requiring states to dramatically extend postpartum coverage from two months to a full year after childbirth; ensuring that all pregnant and postpartum people have full Medicaid coverage, rather than coverage that can be limited to pregnancy-related services; and increasing access to primary care providers and reproductive health providers. “Maternal and infant mortality rates are tragically high in Wisconsin, and they are even higher in the Black community. We need to do more to make sure families have access to quality, affordable health care,” said Senator Baldwin. “We know that healthier pregnancies lead to healthier babies. That’s why I’m proud to work on this important legislation to enhance Medicaid coverage so mothers and pregnant women can get the care they need.” Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing! “We live in a nation that spends more than any other country on health care, yet we still have the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths of any of our peer countries,” said Senator Booker. “And Black women are more than three times as likely to die from complications related to pregnancy than white women — in New Jersey they are five times as likely. New Jersey also has the unfortunate distinction of having the fifth-highest rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. We simply cannot continue to accept this alarming status quo — we must do something about it and this bill is an important first step. By expanding Medicaid coverage for pregnant people, we can begin to stem the rising tide of maternal mortality and close the egregious racial gaps that exist in maternal and infant health outcomes.” “A safe and healthy pregnancy should be a fundamental human right but far too many people in America —particularly Black women—still find themselves without the high-quality, comprehensive care they need for themselves and their babies,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Our bill would help change that by promoting community-based, holistic approaches to maternity and post-partum care so that every pregnant person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve during and after childbirth. Our fight for maternal justice continues.” In Wisconsin, the MOMMIES Act is endorsed by United Way of Dane County, Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health, Kids Forward, and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC). “In Wisconsin, the unacceptable reality is that our Black moms are five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications and are significantly more likely to experience severe maternal morbidities. For too long, women of color in our state have been denied access to adequate and sustained healthcare coverage. That’s why we need the MOMMIES Act more than ever. The strengthened Medicaid protections in the MOMMIES Act will enable Wisconsin to address our maternal health crisis head-on and reduce our persistent maternal health disparities. We applaud Senator Baldwin for her continued leadership on this issue,” said Sara Finger, Founder & Executive Director, Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health. “We are facing a Black maternal health crisis in Wisconsin and across the country. The Covid-19 pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color has greatly magnified the urgency we must act with to tackle the root causes of racial health inequities. We know that increasing access to affordable, high-quality, and culturally responsive health care services is important when closing severe racial gaps in maternal and infant health.