Nearly every family in America has experienced the ravages of addiction or mental health struggles. During pregnancy and in the postpartum period, too many mothers face these battles alone.
Even though our society broadly accepts the premise that children are our future, America is failing to keep mothers healthy. America has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, and substance use and mental illness contribute to more than 20 percent of maternal deaths in the United States. Making care more accessible can help prevent these tragedies.
Some of us in Congress believe that America has an obligation to do better, which is why Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Representatives Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and I are introducing bicameral legislation, the Mental Health and Making Access More Affordable (MAMA) Act. Our legislation would remove copays for pregnant and postpartum mothers seeking mental health care and substance use treatment through their private or public plans. For mothers experiencing mental health challenges or substance use disorders, a lack of insurance could be a barrier to care, but unfortunately, even for those with insurance, care can remain unaffordable.
Our bill would ensure more mothers can access potentially life-saving care and treatment throughout pregnancy and during the crucial one-year period that follows. Doctors often note that the “fourth trimester” is as important as the first, second and third trimesters. For many women, the postpartum period can be marked by silent battles.
Certain health conditions, such as postpartum depression, often start to show six months or later after giving birth. Rates of depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period are as high as one in seven. I am heartened that our national dialogue is helping destigmatize mental illnesses, and more women are speaking up about their struggles with postpartum depression, including high-profile celebrities like Serena Williams and Reese Witherspoon.
Our legislation would also recognize that substance use is a condition that deserves treatment—not criminalization or discrimination. This call, long echoed by the medical community, must be answered by congressional action, especially in the face of our country’s ongoing overdose crisis, which does not discriminate by race or geography.
The rates of opioid use disorder among pregnant women more than quadrupled between 1999 and 2014, leaving too many families with only memories of their loved one—and too many children growing up without knowing their mother or father. Our Mental Health and MAMA Act would help put our country on the path to treating those struggling with substance use disorders with dignity and compassion.
Fear of discrimination and stigma, especially for mothers of color, keeps many from seeking the mental health and substance use treatment they need. The consequences of not treating these conditions is exceptionally grave: those grappling with substance use disorder are more likely to face dangerous health complications during their pregnancies, and their babies’ health is at risk, too. Drug overdose mortality rates skyrocketed by 81 percent for pregnant and postpartum women between 2017 and 2020. There is hope in knowing that increasing access to treatment can enable life-saving interventions.
On the heels of Maternal Health Awareness Day, our Mental Health and MAMA Act renews our commitment to improving maternal health by removing barriers to care.
I believe that Congress can, and should, play a direct role in helping to build a society where every mother receives the care she needs, where no one suffers in silence and where we tackle and ultimately end our maternal health crisis. The Mental Health and MAMA Act is an important step in making this vision a reality for pregnant and postpartum mothers.
Gwen Moore, a Democrat, represents Wisconsin's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.