Cuts to Medicaid hurt maternal mental health!
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION
Dear Friend,
“Honestly I loved my baby but that love only brought grief and anxiety
because I was so weak and tired I felt inadequate to give her the love and
attention she deserved. I wished for death regularly.”--Katie
Katie is just like so many moms who experience mental health struggles
after giving birth. And now it is mothers who stand to suffer greatly if
planned budget cuts, including the gutting of Medicaid, are implemented.
Especially at risk are rural communities and small towns, where almost a
quarter of women of childbearing age are covered by Medicaid.[ [link removed] ]
[1]Click here to honor moms during Maternal Mental Health month and tell
Congress to protect investments in maternal health and perinatal mental
health.
Numerous maternal mental health and maternal health programs are under
threat, including the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, which is a
free 24/7 call center that serves tens of thousands of pregnant and
postpartum women and their loved ones.[ [link removed] ] We must demand that Congress
protect these lifesaving supports. Many key programs have already either
been eliminated or badly cut.[ [link removed] ] To add insult to injury, there are
efforts being made in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood clinics, which
provide free and low-cost contraceptive methods, STI testing and
treatment, cancer screenings like Pap smears and breast exams, and other
preventive services.
[2]This Maternal Mental Health Month stand with moms like Katie and raise
your voice to protect Medicaid and invest in maternal health.
In rural communities, where rates of depression and suicide are higher
than in urban areas, moms are directly in the bullseye of the proposed
cuts to Medicaid.[ [link removed] ] Almost half of all births in rural communities are
covered by Medicaid and nearly all of those births happen in hospitals.[ [link removed] ]
The fact is that many of these rural hospitals depend on the dollars
brought in by Medicaid—nearly 200 are at risk of immediate closure if the
cuts are implemented.[ [link removed] ] So many moms in rural communities are already
living in maternity care deserts, these proposed cuts would make a bad
situation even worse, and potentially dangerous, for rural moms.[7,8]
[3]Demand that our leaders prevent devastating cuts to Medicaid and other
federal programs which equal hospital closures and the destruction of
maternal health and mental health programs.
We know that mental health conditions are a leading cause of preventable
maternal deaths.[ [link removed] ] It is critical that we urge Congress to remember that
maternal health, including mental health, should not be on the chopping
block.
Supports for new moms and their families, like the National Maternal
Mental Health Hotline and the perinatal psychiatry access line are vital.
Urge Congress to protect investment in maternal health and maternal mental
health!
We must do better. Families are the backbone of our communities, our
economy, and our nation. Our policies should reflect that.
Together we can, and must, do better for moms, babies, families and our
communities.
--Gina, Tina, Monifa, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team
P.S. Did you recently give birth? [4]Please share your postpartum
experience with us.
References:
[1] [5]Medicaid Plays A Key Role for Maternal and Infant Health in Rural
Communities
[2] [6]HHS cuts leave future of mental health, substance use hotlines
uncertain
[3] [ [link removed] ]Trump administration eviscerates maternal and child health programs
[4] [ [link removed] ]Rural Minds Founder Has Eye On Federal Budget
[5] [9]10 Things to Know About Rural Hospitals
[6] [ [link removed] ]Medicaid Cuts Would Threaten Rural Hospitals
[7] [ [link removed] ]Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US
[8] [ [link removed] ]Maternal Mental Health Provider Shortages & Population Risk Report
[9] [ [link removed] ]Maternal Mental Health Overview fact sheet by the Maternal Mental
Health Leadership Alliance
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