State budget hearings in Harrisburg extend beyond financial discussions, often addressing broader issues relevant to legislators and their districts.
Pittsburgh Representative La’Tasha D. Mayes, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has been using her role to spotlight maternal health concerns, particularly for Black mothers in Pennsylvania—an issue she believes has not received sufficient attention.
In recent weeks, Mayes has questioned state Human Services and Health Department leaders about their efforts to combat maternal mortality, particularly for low-income mothers relying on Medicaid and other benefits. She also inquired about the state’s Drug and Alcohol Department’s initiatives for mothers struggling with postpartum depression and addiction. Additionally, she urged Auditor General Tim DeFoor to audit state prison spending on healthcare for incarcerated women, an examination that has yet to be conducted.
Mayes has repeatedly pointed out that Black mothers are up to three times more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy than white women. However, she emphasized in an interview that her advocacy is “about all moms, because when we solve maternal mortality and morbidity … we solve this for every single mom in this Commonwealth.”
She also stressed that both Democratic and Republican lawmakers should be invested in finding solutions.
“Moms who are living in rural counties that are maternal health deserts, they’re suffering too,” Mayes said. “This is probably one of the rare issues that we can work on in the House and Senate in a bipartisan way to save moms.”
Expanding Maternal Health Legislation
With two decades of experience in reproductive justice advocacy, Mayes co-founded an organization focused on maternal health. As a co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, established in 2023 and modeled after a similar congressional caucus, she is now spearheading legislative initiatives to improve maternal care. Representatives Morgan Cephas (Philadelphia) and Gina Curry (Delaware County) also serve as co-chairs.
The caucus has introduced a legislative package—often referred to as “Momnibus”—inspired by federal proposals aimed at enhancing maternal health care. Two of its bills have already been signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro:
- One focuses on postpartum depression awareness and mental health screenings.
- The other extends Medicaid coverage for doulas, who provide physical and emotional support before, during, and after childbirth. (The caucus also aims to mandate private insurance coverage for these services.)
Additional legislative goals include:
- Expanding postpartum blood-pressure monitoring at home (separate bills last session sought coverage through Medicaid and private insurance).
- Designating maternal health deserts across Pennsylvania to direct resources to underserved areas.
- Providing mothers and newborns with resource kits.
- Mandating implicit bias training for healthcare professionals seeking continuing education certifications through the Department of State.
Mayes said the caucus will integrate these efforts into a “Momnibus 2.0” package.
Growing National Support for Doula Coverage
According to Amy Chen, a senior attorney with the National Health Law Program, the number of states offering Medicaid coverage for doula services has increased rapidly in recent years.
“In 2017, we had two states that had Medicaid coverage for doula care,” said Chen. “By 2021, we had between half a dozen to ten, and now as of today, we have 23 states—close to half of states already … and a bunch more that are kind of in the process.”
Doula care costs between $1,500 and $3,000 out of pocket, depending on the region’s cost of living, Chen added. Research indicates that doulas can significantly improve maternal well-being during childbirth.
Addressing Racial Disparities in Maternal Healthcare
Advocates stress that culturally competent support is crucial for Black mothers, who often face barriers to quality healthcare.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across moms who are telling me that … when they go home to their communities [after giving birth in a hospital], the organizations that are supporting them are not culturally competent,” said Muffy Mendoza, founder and executive director of Pittsburgh Brown Mamas, a support network for Black mothers. Sometimes, she said, Black moms “[are] just not comfortable being in those spaces.”
Mendoza’s organization curates a list of Black doctors and therapists in the Pittsburgh area, a resource frequently requested by mothers. She noted that many Black women feel more comfortable receiving care from providers who “resemble them”, a phenomenon studied by the American Association of Medical Colleges.
Maternal health goes beyond clinical treatment, Mendoza added: “We have to think about [healthcare] that is not just ‘making people feel well,’ but it’s also just affirming who we are as a people, affirming that we deserve respect.”
Mayes believes implicit biases in healthcare contribute to Black maternal mortality rates, though she acknowledged that addressing these disparities is challenging.
Last session, she sponsored a bill to mandate implicit bias training in continuing education programs for healthcare providers, but it stalled in committee.
“We have to be honest about the biases that our healthcare system has,” she said, adding that some lawmakers lacked the “appetite” for the measure.
Even if legislative progress is slow, Mayes is focused on raising awareness. Next month, she and her colleagues will observe Black Maternal Health Week in Pittsburgh, from April 14 to April 16.“We can solve the issue of Black maternal mortality and morbidity if we want to,” she said. But she also issued a stark warning: “If we can’t figure out how to save moms, we can’t figure out anything in the state.”
Source: 90.5 WESA
