Michigan House passes bill package to reduce maternal death rates
The Democratic-sponsored legislation passed the chamber with bipartisan support before lawmakers departed for summer break on June 26.

The Michigan House of Representatives passed a 10-bill package on June 26 aimed at improving the health of mothers and babies in the state.
The Democratic-sponsored legislation — House Bills 4728, 5027 and 5166–5173 — passed the chamber with bipartisan support. The bills would require insurers to provide coverage for blood pressure monitors, give all pregnant women access to prenatal screenings for certain genetic conditions, and mandate that hospitals share information about newborn health insurance plans with new parents.
“Moving these 10 bills today is a meaningful way the Legislature can support healthy pregnancies and the health and wellbeing of new parents and babies in our state,” Amy Zaagman, the executive director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, said in a statement. “Maternal and infant mortality are multi-faceted challenges, and we must seize every opportunity — big or small, through legislation, policy, education or awareness — to support better birth outcomes.”
A total of 442 maternal deaths were reported in Michigan during 2016-2020, according to the latest data from Michigan’s Maternal Mortality Surveillance Program. Of those deaths directly related to or aggravated by pregnancy, 74.5% were deemed to have been preventable.
The state has worked to respond to maternal mortality with programs such as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Healthy Moms Healthy Babies initiative. Healthy Moms Healthy Babies is dedicated to expanding support for women and their children and combat medical bias against women of color, who are more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
The package of bills would codify the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative. Launched in 2015, the program works with grassroots groups and stakeholders such as medical professionals and insurers to find ways to improve birth outcomes. The collaborative has created a health equity resource website, expanded care options for babies born to mothers with substance use disorders, and grown the state’s doula workforce, according to its website.
The bill package includes provisions dedicated to a mother’s mental health care, including a requirement that doctors offer mental health screenings to new mothers and a change in the Social Welfare Act that would ensure mental health screenings are included in postpartum medical services.
Research shows that around one in seven women develop postpartum depression, most commonly six weeks after childbirth. Symptoms of postpartum depression can range from anxiety and an inability to concentrate to suicidal ideation and hallucinations.
While women experiencing postpartum depression can get better with the proper treatment, as many as half of new mothers go undiagnosed because of concerns for their privacy, a fear of abandonment, or a lack of support.
“As policymakers, we must take proactive steps to protect the infants who are most in danger,” state Rep. Kristian Grant, a bill sponsor, said in a statement. “The bond mothers have with their infants is priceless. These bills will ensure more mothers are at their prime during one of the most precious times of their lives and are given the tools necessary to be present and engaged with their child.”