Potential Medicaid cuts and further restrictions on abortion care under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration could challenge efforts to address the national maternal health crisis, Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, said Wednesday. [Health News Illinois]
Kelly said during an Axios event focused on maternal health that lawmakers are waiting to see specific policy recommendations, but noted the Project 2025 document written by former Trump staffers called for rolling back Medicaid funding.
She said that could hamper efforts to expand maternal care services, not only for Black and Brown women in urban areas, but those in rural communities where there may be one obstetrician to serve tens of thousands of residents.
“If you're talking about rolling back and not having the support that is necessary, that's a problem,” Kelly said. “That's why we have the legislation to try to give more resources, more access to women that live in those areas.”
The other concern is states that have banned or severely restricted abortion care, Kelly said. She noted that some women in those states who have had troubled pregnancies can face barriers to care.
However, Kelly said there is hope lawmakers can reach across the aisle on some issues. As co-chair of the bipartisan Maternal Health Caucus, she said her Republican colleagues have “concerns about women being able to have babies in a safe manner.”
She also highlighted her work to bolster the doula workforce through federal funding for their services. Such workers can play an important role in helping pregnant women access necessary care, she said.
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