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Kentucky bill proposed that would set up hotline for maternal mental health

Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser proposed the bill on Thursday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One in seven new mothers will experience post-partum depression, but resources for them are limited in the state. 

Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser, of Northern Kentucky, proposed a bill Thursday that would set up a hotline specifically for maternal mental health. 

"This legislation will address the high rate of substance use disorders, which are now the number one reason that Kentucky women die in the first year following childbirth," Moser said. 

The hotline will be called 'Kentucky Lifeline for Moms' and will have a psychologist or psychiatrist on the other end of the line. 

A doctor or OBGYN can call the line and set up a year of care for them. The representative said they've already applied and been granted $750,000 in grants to start the program. It also closes a glaring hole in insurance law. 

Pregnancy is not considered a "qualifying life event" for some agencies, meaning some prenatal care isn't covered.

"That's the period of time when we know that any chronic disease or any health issue is picked up and can more easily be dealt with during the prenatal care," Moser said. 

It would expand education for new moms, about lactation care, and safe sleeping.

The bill passed the House Health Committee and moves to the Full House. 

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