INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana ranks among the highest in the nation when it comes to infant and maternal mortality rates. State lawmakers said they are currently working on at least two bills that could help keep more moms and babies alive.
Indiana report finds 75% of pregnancy-related deaths preventable
The first bill working through the Indiana General Assembly focuses on maternal mortality rates. The Indiana Department of Health reported that 85% of pregnancy-associated deaths occurred postpartum and almost 75% of the deaths reported in 2019 were preventable.
In the Maternal Mortality Report, substance use disorder was the most common contributing factor, likely contributing to just under half of all pregnancy-associated deaths in both 2018 and 2019, and overdoses accounted for one-third of the pregnancy-associated deaths reported in those years.
With the approval of House Bill 1140, the Medicaid income eligibility ceiling would be raised for pregnant women and new moms.
The proposal would also extend how long a woman can get Medicaid coverage after giving birth.
The Indiana Department of Health reported that more than half of the women who died from a pregnancy-related cause in 2019 were covered by Medicaid. Additionally, 34 of the 60 pregnancy-associated deaths reported in that year happened more than 40 days after giving birth.
Under current policies, new moms could possibly lose Medicaid coverage within 60 days of giving birth. The proposed bill would make mothers eligible for coverage for an entire year.
"If we only have that for 60 days, we're really not serving the mom and by not serving the mom in turn we're not serving that new baby," said Dr. Klaus Boel, chief medical officer at Clark Memorial Health.
Starting in April of 2022, Indiana Medicaid has been granted a plan amendment so that all women covered by Medicaid will have extended postpartum coverage for one year.
'The ability for us to test for certain things that we can diagnose in babies has really increased significantly'
The second bill in the 2022 legislative session is aimed at reducing the infant mortality rate. According to data from the March of Dimes, the state's infant mortality rate was 14% higher than the national average in 2019.
The leading causes of infant death include birth defects, prematurity, low birth weight, maternal complications and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the March of Dimes.
The proposed legislation, House Bill 1254, would make it easier to add required health screenings for newborns.
Right now, all newborns are screened for more than 50 health disorders, but doctors and researchers are learning more about newborn and infant health disorders every day.
"The ability for us to test for certain things that we can diagnose in babies has really increased significantly," Boel said. "Science has really taken leaps and bounds over the last 25 years."
Right now, the Indiana General Assembly needs to approve adding new medical conditions to the required screening list.
Under the proposed measure, a panel of medical experts could vet and add screenings to the state's list.
Both bills passed out of the Indiana House and are now in the Senate.
Contact reporter Rachel Droze at rdroze@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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