Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a $45 million maternal health care bill into law, which would improve maternal health care in the state.
Earlier this year, Sanders said that Arkansas should be doing a better job when it comes to providing maternal health care to its people. The recent bill, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, was signed into law on Thursday.
Improving Maternal Health Care in Arkansas
The governor, accompanied by Sen. Missy Irvin and Rep. Aaron Pilkington, discussed how they want to care for expecting mothers in Arkansas to change. The governor noted that the bill she signed into law would significantly improve the state's maternal health landscape.
These would be in addition to the regulatory changes and incentives that aim to bring more and better providers into maternal health care. Sanders added that the bill would invest $45 million every year to improve maternal health care for Arkansas residents with the lowest incomes, according to 4029tv.
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One example of a mother who would benefit from the reformed bill is Julie Anderson, who has three kids, two of whom were born in Arkansas. She has been forced to travel away from home for both of her pregnancies.
For her first pregnancy, she lived in Fort Smith, and for her second one, she lived in Ozard. Anderson said she had no idea whether doctors were being paid enough but noted that they did not want to stay and were "leaving by the droves."
Helping Moms Have Healthy Babies
Sanders said that as a mother, she knows precisely how crucial maternal health care is in helping mothers have healthy babies. This is why her administration focused on building a comprehensive, coordinated approach to maternal health within the state, Governor SHS reported.
Sen. Irvin added that mothers and babies in Arkansas are the state's top priorities right now. She noted that the announcement and subsequent legislation were "intentional, targeted, and smart." The bill was designed to help mothers become healthier so they could deliver healthier children.
The Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act would change Arkansas' Medicaid program by establishing presumptive eligibility for pregnant residents. It would also offer reimbursements for doulas and community health workers and develop pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage for specific treatments.
Attorney Lamar Porter said that while the bill was designed to promote the health of moms and their babies, it also contains a provision that could harm the legal rights of those it is trying to protect. He said that, as per the Arkansas Advocate, the legislation does not specify when the window for acceptable birth injuries starts.
