What is the Black Maternal Momnibus?

Dr. Monica McLemore, professor of Nursing at UC San Francisco, joins Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss the Black Maternal Health Momnibus package. Dr. McLemore explains what’s in this bill and how it will address the black maternal health crisis in the U.S. by expanding Medicaid coverage, creating maternal health reviews, reinvesting in the black midwifery and doula workforce, and more.

“In the U.S., moms are dying at the highest rate in the developed world – and the rate is rising. The crisis is most severe for Black moms, who are dying at 3 to 4 times the rate of their white counterparts. In order to address the maternal health crisis in America, Congressional leaders have been fighting for critically important policy change like 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage. To build on this effort, members of Congress have introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 to comprehensively address every dimension of the maternal health crisis in America.”