Dear John,
In case you missed the media coverage, I wanted to make sure you saw the new report to the Legislature from the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee — and ask for your help ensuring that legislators see the report.
The recommendations in the report are critical for saving the lives of Texas moms.
And the recommendations are also key to reducing racial disparities, supporting moms with maternal depression, combating infant mortality, reducing the risk that infants have disabilities or serious health challenges, and supporting infants during this critical time of brain development in early childhood.
We're glad to see that the Committee's first recommendation is to increase access to comprehensive health services before, during, and after pregnancy. Specifically, the Committee recommends allowing Texas mothers to keep their Medicaid health insurance for a full year after childbirth instead of removing them from insurance two months after delivery.
This recommendation is one of our top priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Legislation to take this step passed the Texas House in 2019 on a strong bipartisan basis, and we're hopeful it will cross the finish line during the 2021 legislative session.
Will you help us support healthy moms and healthy babies by emailing the report to your legislators and urging them to support the Committee's recommendations during the upcoming legislative session?
