89%: State reps discuss maternal mortality crisis in Georgia, push for Medicaid expansion

ATLANTA — “Out of the pregnancy-associated deaths that occurred in the past four years, 89% were preventable,” Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) said at the state Capitol Friday afternoon.

Members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus spoke to highlight a new campaign aimed at addressing maternal mortality in the state, citing what they call worrying statistics among Georgia’s mothers.

As part of the push to lower the rate of maternal deaths and deaths of children, members of the caucus pushed to expand Medicaid across the state in a bid to provide resources in what they called “healthcare deserts.”

Democratic caucus chair Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) took a different tack as related to the statistics in Georgia.

“We find this state to be reprehensible when it comes to maternal mortality. Georgia indeed is a dangerous place to have a child. We are depending on whose chart you’re looking at, the records, we are the last or the next to next to last, in maternal mortality and we need to be able to do better,” Mitchell said.

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Mitchell added that the issue is one where expanding Medicaid would be a solution, noting that it would be a big help in rural communities where healthcare is less available.

According to the speakers at the event in the Capitol, rural health and the disparity between mothers of color and white mothers was particularly important and in need of a solution.

“I have been standing with my colleagues for many weeks since we started this session bringing attention consistently to the maternal mortality crisis in Georgia. This is a problem that does have solutions, one thing we can do right off the top of the bat, and people get tired of hearing us say it because it’s said so often, but we need to fully expand Medicaid in this state. The facts are there. National statistics prove that mothers and babies do better in states where Medicaid is fully expanded. It is time to get it done. We call on our partners across the aisle to do that. Not only are the maternal mortality statistics appalling, but the inequity within these numbers is staggering. Not only are white mothers at risk, but Black and brown mothers are three times as likely to suffer maternal mortality than white women,” Rep. Karen Lupton said.

Another representative, Dexter Sharper (D-Valdosta), who has been a paramedic for more than 30 years, said it was important for healthcare workers to understand the disparity so that more care is provided for Black mothers, who statistically suffer more often from maternal mortality.

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Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth) added that in addition to the data showing that 89% of the maternal mortality events in Georgia were preventable, the gap in overage and medical care is widened due to half of Georgia’s counties lacking an OBGYN, or obstetrician-gynecologists, the doctors who provide treatment and care for pregnant mothers.

“That is a direct result of underfunding of our healthcare system and the continuous attempt to try every possible bad solution except the one that has been proven and tested time and time and time again in more than 40 other states which is that we should be expanding Medicaid to ensure that these clinics, these hospitals, can remain open in the areas that need it most,” Romman said, joining her colleagues in promoting an expansion of Medicaid in the state of Georgia.

“You heard from my colleague that 89% of these deaths are preventable. All of those people that have lost a loved one, whether it’s a mother or a wife or a daughter or a sister, they should have never lost that person,” Romman added. “No one should have to face the loss of a loved one, especially if we can do something about it.”

The maternal mortality statistics were important to more than just state lawmakers.

U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, one of Georgia’s two senators in Washington, released a statement on Thursday that maternal mortality and infant mortality rates were on the rise and urged lawmakers across both chambers at the state level and federally to act, in addition to an appeal to state officials.

“As a dad myself, I know that the transition into the life-changing and important role of fatherhood can be a powerful lever for change,” wrote Senator Reverend Warnock to the Georgia Department of Public Health. “PRAMS for Dads collects vital data about the experiences of new fathers directly from fathers, with a long-term goal of eliminating systemic barriers to healthy families. This proven approach enhances the overall health and quality of life of fathers, mothers, and babies in Georgia.”

Warnock said that expanding Medicaid would help provide affordable healthcare to more than 640,000 Georgians in need.

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