Menendez bill looks to technology to fight maternal mortality

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-North Bergen) introduced a bill that would inject new technologies into the fight against maternal mortality.

The bipartisan bill, sponsored also by U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), would require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to weigh better methods of integrating telehealth services into care for expectant mothers.

It would also fund the development of instructional programming for maternity care providers in underserved areas. The programing would cover safety improvements, screening and treatment for substance abuse disorders and maternal health conditions and methods of remote patient monitoring.

“Before the pandemic, New Jersey had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country and alarming racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.  The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated barriers to equitable maternity care,” Menendez said. “The Tech to Save Moms Act will allow us to leverage new technologies, improve the integration of telehealth services in maternal health care, combat implicit biases, and ultimately reduce disparities in maternal health.”

The bill would also provide grants that could be used to expand providers’ access to high-quality internet connections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate roughly 700 women die annually from complications during pregnancy or labor, but those rates diverge sharply among racial lines.

The difference is stark in New Jersey, where Black women are seven times as likely to die during or after pregnancy and Black babies are three times more likely to die than white ones.