Maternal deaths in the U.S. are staggeringly common. Personal nurses could help

The country has long stood out for its high rate of maternal mortality among wealthy countries, an issue that disproportionately affects Black Americans. The coronavirus pandemic only pushed deaths higher.

Another gap is access to health care in general. In the U.S., people without health insurance qualify for Medicaid, government-subsidized health coverage, when they become pregnant and up to 60 days after birth. More than two dozen states have joined a Biden Administration program to extend that coverage up to one year postpartum. Across the country, Medicaid pays for 42% of all births.

But outside of that time period, thousands lack basic coverage. As of 2019, there were 800,000 women of childbearing age who made too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That puts them in the "coverage gap."

Expanding Medicaid coverage, and narrowing that gap, helps reduce maternal mortalities, according to a report from Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/27/1144151215/maternal-deaths-iu-s-are-common-personal-nurses-help