WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to improve access to prenatal care and enhance the quality of health care for mothers and babies, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act of 2018 (S. 2637), which would help improve maternity care for women and newborns.  The United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world and one of the highest rates of infant mortality.

Overall, the national average for infant mortality was 5.89 per 1,000 live births.  However, 21 states across the country exceeded that average.  Rhode Island has made real progress in reducing the infant mortality rate and is the18th healthiest state in the nation when it comes to infant mortality, but still has a rate of 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 births, according to a report released this week by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT.

“We all have a stake in keeping moms and babies healthy,” said Senator Stabenow.  “My bill makes sure moms and babies get the best care possible from the doctor’s office to the delivery room.”

“We’ve made some real progress in reducing infant mortality and improving health care outcomes for mothers and their babies, but we still have a long way to go.  Helping pregnant women and their babies get a healthy start makes families and our communities healthier too,” said Senator Reed.  “This legislation will bring together diverse stakeholders to analyze, collaborate, and make recommendations on a set of quality measures for use across the health care system.”

The Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act of 2018 will improve maternity care for women and newborns by holding Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) accountable through higher quality standards.  Medicaid currently has a set of guidelines for pediatric and adult care, but no specific standards for maternity and infant care.

The legislation will also provide funding for care quality partnerships that will bring together states, health care providers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders to develop and carry out new strategies to improve maternity and infant care.

It will also support new and existing maternity and infant care quality collaboratives and facilitate access to data capabilities.

In addition to U.S. Senators Stabenow and Reed, the bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

Reed is also working on bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to help stop the rate of maternal deaths in the United States.  Their bill, the Maternal Health Accountability Act (S. 1112), would create a grant program to allow states to establish and sustain a maternal mortality review committee, made up of health care and maternal health professionals, to review deaths and injuries that occur to women as a result of a pregnancy or childbirth.  Maternal mortality boards would then review the data and identify trends and patterns, so they can begin to address disparities in adverse outcomes.