Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Tries To Curb Soaring Maternal Mortality Rates With Doulas
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Sunday a series of initiatives aimed at addressing a disturbingly high rate of maternal mortality among black women, who are four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women in New York State, according to a study released last year. The plan includes a pilot program that will expand Medicaid coverage for doulas, birth coaches who provide women with physical and emotional support during pregnancy and childbirth. (Ferre-Sadurni, 4/22)
In other women's health care news —
State law requires insurers to cover infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, for those who’ve tried and failed for a year to conceive. But insurers are not required to cover fertility preservation — freezing of eggs, sperm and embryos — for patients facing medical treatments that might leave them unable to have children. Some insurers cover the procedures but many don’t. A bill under consideration in the Illinois legislature aims to change that — one in a string of such measures across the nation. Connecticut and Rhode Island passed bills last year requiring insurers to cover fertility preservation, and a similar bill is before Maryland’s governor. (Schencker, 4/22)
