We Need to Stop Pregnancy-Related Deaths

If you are low-income and pregnant, you qualify for Apple Health Pregnancy Medical coverage. Unfortunately, if you earn too much ($2,790 per month for a single mom), coverage ends about two months after giving birth. This happens even though the number of women who die each year from a pregnancy-related cause has skyrocketed over the last two decades.

Many of these deaths are preventable.

We are close to ensuring the expansion of Apple Health coverage to one year after giving birth. We need to take action TODAY.

Please take a minute to urge your legislators to extend life-saving health coverage.

Senate Bill 6128 will:

• Support women’s health and well-being – Extending coverage to one year after giving birth will give over 10,000 new moms access to care during a time they are at increased risk for developing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
• Save lives – When new moms can’t afford to go to the doctor, treatable conditions like postpartum depression can go unnoticed and in some cases, lead to death. Getting moms the care they need will help providers catch life-threatening conditions early and prevent pregnancy-related deaths.
• Protect babies – Healthy moms mean healthy babies. When moms can’t access care or don’t survive the postpartum period, babies suffer.
• Address racial disparities – American Indian and Alaska Native women in Washington are 6 to 7 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women.
• Improve economic security – Being forced to pay out-of-pocket for costly but vital postpartum check-ups hurts women’s and families’ economic security.
• Save money for the whole system – Foregoing health care means medical issues go untreated, resulting in costly emergency care down the line.

Thanks to your advocacy, SB 6128 passed the Senate – now let’s get it through the House!

Urge your House members to pass SB 6128 through the Appropriations Committee.  Thank you for taking action TODAY!