We call on the Executive Council to reconsider and approve the FULLY FUNDED maternal health contract.
Yesterday, Wednesday May 21, the Executive Council voted 3-2 AGAINST a fully federally funded (no state dollars) contract for maternal health. The vote was not partisan. The three men on the Council (Joe Kenney, David Wheeler, and John Stephen) voted against the contract while the two women on the council (Karen Liot Hill and Janet Stevens) voted in support.
MATERNAL HEALTH IS NOT PARTISAN
Maternal health is not a partisan issue, but it is clear that women’s leadership is needed to ensure comprehensive women’s health care and protections for moms. We know that regardless of party, women in elected office are more likely to vote for efforts that support women and girls, and this was made abundantly clear in yesterday’s vote.
HYPOCRISY
Just two weeks ago, Governor Ayotte read aloud and signed a proclamation for Maternal Mental Health Week in the presence of all five councilors and more than a dozen maternal health advocates. We were grateful to the Governor for lifting up the importance of maternal mental health in the presence of the Councilors. Afterwards, the councilors posed for photos with the maternal health advocates. It is hypocritical and politics at its worst for the three men on the Council to stand next to maternal health advocates for a photo op and turn around two weeks later and vote down a fully paid-for maternal health contract.
ABOUT THE CONTRACT
The Department of Insurance brought this contract forward “for the purposes of studying access to women’s health services, particularly postpartum care, and to explore fiscally responsible options for expanding coverage within New Hampshire’s Essential Health Benefit benchmark plan.” This contract was entirely federally funded from an Expanding Access to Women’s Health Program grant and would propose ways to make sure moms with commercial/employer-based insurance get the postpartum care they need with lower hospital and insurance bills. There is no state funding for this grant or contract.
The majority of Granite Staters, women, moms, and births are covered by commercial insurance, therefore, it is integral to study the level of birth and postpartum benefits and access to care commercial insurance is providing. The UNH Institute for Health Policy and Practice recently reported that pregnancy is the highest out-of-pocket expense for Granite Staters with commercial insurance and the cost has increased 42% since 2016.
WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN OFFICE
We know that, regardless of party, women in elected office are more likely to vote for efforts that support women and girls. We are so proud of the legislators and councilors across the political spectrum who sponsor the bills and take the votes for our most important priorities.
IMPORTANCE OF MATERNAL HEALTH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire moms continue to face serious gaps in maternal health and wellness. Behavioral health, including substance misuse, is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the state.
Women in New Hampshire face disparities in access to adequate prenatal care by race, ethnicity, income, and location, putting them at increased risk for poor birth outcomes.
In the past two decades, 11 maternity wards in the state have closed, increasing the median driving time for women to access care and disproportionately affecting women in rural communities.
TAKE ACTION
- Send an email to the Executive Councilors asking them to reconsider and approve the fully funded maternal health contract.
- Consider running for office and/or encourage a friend to run for office and sign up for Women Run!
