A pair of bipartisan bills — one in the House and the other in the Senate — aimed at addressing maternal mortality have not gotten airtime as Congress remains laser-focused on the opioid crisis, according to a report from The Hill.
"I know it's an issue, and we're just so focused on opioids right now," Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., told The Hill.
The rate of maternal deaths has been on the rise in the U.S. since 2000 and now is more than double the average rate of other developed countries, The Hill reports. Citing data from The Lancet, the report notes in the U.S., 26.4 women in every 100,000 live births die from pregnancy-related complications. Comparatively, the average maternal death rate among developed nations is 12 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the report.
The bills addressing this issue in the House and Senate, sponsored by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., would help create state review committees to improve the data collection and review process of maternal deaths, which are currently poorly tracked. This would help public health officials better identify and address ways to stop preventable maternal deaths.
So far the bills face no opposition, but have not had a hearing, have not left committee and have not been scheduled for a vote. Lawmakers hope they can be added as a manager's amendment to opioid legislation, which will get a vote next week, according to the report.
Read the full story here.
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