maternity

Experts say Tennessee is failing to stop preventable deaths

According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, 60 percent of Kentucky counties do not have an OB/GYN.

A bipartisan plan to expand health care access and education for new mothers cleared a Kentucky House committee Thursday.

Democrats in Kentucky’s legislature are pushing for exceptions to the state’s near total abortion ban. At the same time, Republicans and anti-abortion activists are pushing into new legislative frontiers to promote a “culture of life.”

The so-called “Momnibus” bill would bolster maternal health in the state by improving insurance coverage for pregnant people, expanding mental health services and increasing access to educational services.

Champions of freestanding birthing centers are renewing their push in the Kentucky General Assembly with legislation that addresses concerns raised by opponents in the past.

A western Tennessee hospital announced last week that it would suspend medical services related to pregnancy and childbirth later this year.

The number of abortions carried out in Tennessee has been dropping for the last decade as Republicans have imposed more restrictions. At this point, Black women account for roughly half of all the state’s abortions, driving equity concerns as an all-out ban looms.

American women are more likely to die from preventable childbirth complications than women in other developed countries. A group of obstetricians says hospitals can do a lot to change this.