Maternal Mortality Where Abortion is Banned
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Happy Tuesday Healthcare Advocates
I would like to encourage comments and suggestions from you if you have time. If there is a special topic you’d like to see please let me know. Please use the comment button below.
Long Term Care Oversight
Yesterday I promised some data on oversight that government has for long term or assisted care facilities. Here is a link to a (rather long) summary of the data for the entire US published by the National Center for Assisted Living Note that there is no oversight at all in four states, CT, NV, OH, and WY. I have included this link in our Healthcare Advocacy Reading List, here and always in the resource section below..
Maternal Mortality Where Abortion is Banned
Let’s return to this important metric. Women in states with abortion bans are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth or soon after giving birth, according to a report from the Gender Equity Policy Institute shared first with Axios.
States that are reproductive rights friendly have an average rate of 21.2 deaths/100,000 live births. The average of states that ban abortion is 47.5 deaths/100,000 live births. More than double. It seems to me it is not very safe to be pregnant in states that ban abortion.
Here is a map from a recent USAFacts (they analyze US government data report
The top three were Mississippi 82, Louisiana 61, Alabama 57. In Mississippi 42% of the births are to Black women.
Let’s put this in perspective and compare to the rest of the world. We already know that our 35 industrialized peer nations are way lower than the US. The US Central Intelligence Agency tracks data about most countries and publishes it in their World Facebook. A quick check there shows that Mississippi has a higher maternal mortality rate than Iraq (79). If this isn’t a clarion call to fix the system I don’t know what is.
Wait - remember that the average of states that ban abortion are at 47.5 deaths - according to the CIA World Factbook Azerbaijan is at 41, Jordan is at 41, Mongolia is 39, and Syria - war torn Syria is 30!!!!.
The US average is over 32!!!
We have discussed this over and over again and our representatives have to hear this over and over again. The current healthcare system is failing way too many people. We don’t have to put up roadblocks to healthcare, we need to make it more accessible.
Copays and deductibles keep people from going to the doctor, individual states denying Medicaid to those that deserve it (4 million and counting) are a disgrace and an insult to all of us. Women who are not heard by their doctors and treated by 40% of the country as second class citizens are a disgrace. Rural healthcare that is so sparse for 20% of Americans that they have to travel for hours to see a doctor is just shameful.
The cure is within our hands for each of those items. The cure is to have ready access to healthcare where ever you are - HR 3421, improved Medicare for All, has budgets for building out the infrastructure. The cure is to remove copays, deductibles, and preauthorizations - HR 3421, improved Medicare for All, does that. Authorizing reproductive healthcare for all of the US will improve maternal mortality - The Women’s Health Protection Act does that. Removing the roadblocks to care for so many - the social determinants of health - The Black Momnibus bill does that. We need to let our legislators know they have work to do - people are dying needlessly and they can save them
ACTION
Let’s let our Senators, Representatives and the President know that they have the power to save lives and it is high time they exercised that power and saved lives. Their contact info is in the resources section below or:
Use RESISTBOT by texting to 50409 SIGN PRQPXD to send the message below.
I am your constituent and I am appalled by the high rate of maternal mortality in states that ban abortion. The average is 47.5 deaths/100,000 live births. Mississippi is 82, Louisiana is 61, and Alabama is 57. According to the CIA World Factbook Azerbaijan is at 41, Jordan is at 41, Mongolia is 39, and Syria is 30.. Not a pretty picture.
At least 4 million people have been wrongfully removed from Medicaid for paperwork issues, many of them children.
The current healthcare system is failing way too many people. We don’t have to put up roadblocks to healthcare, we need to make it more accessible.
The cure is within our hands for each of those items. The cure is to have ready access to healthcare where ever you are - HR 3421, improved Medicare for All, has budgets for building out the infrastructure. The cure is to remove copays, deductibles, and preauthorizations - HR 421, improved Medicare for All, does that.
Authorizing reproductive healthcare for all of the US will improve maternal mortality - The Women’s Health Protection Act does that.
Removing the roadblocks to care for so many - the social determinants of health - The Black Momnibus bill does that.
I want you to cosponsor and pass HR 3421 the improved Medicare forAll act, the Women’s Health Protection Act, and the Black Momnibus bill now. Act like people’s lives depend upon it - because they do.
League of Women Voters Healthcare Advocates - Check It Out
There is an affinity group, HCR4US, of League of Women Voter members across the country who support and advocate for Universal Healthcare, better rural healthcare, and better care for all of us. We are members and wanted to share their latest newsletter and their website, which has many useful educational materials and presentations. It is encouraging to me that there are so many medical professional members of this group.
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Plan
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water Resistbot write up
This post could be subtitled, "Living the Lie: How 'Pro-Lifers' Kill Moms by Banning Abortions". Thanks for doing this work.
p.s. I live in Texas, immersed in the blatant cruelty of batshit-crazy 'pro-lifers'. It's a living nightmare.
As a family doc (retired) with a serious interest in women's health and a strong supporter of Nurse Midwifery your article is a fantastic resource. The stats are well organized and I will be using them.
The article certainly underlines how little women are valued in this country
The Midwifery stats in our out of hospital birthing center are incredibly good low C section rate, low prematurity rate etc etc.