Underwood Calls for Immediate Passage of Momnibus Act After New Report Shows Dramatic Increase in Severe Pregnancy Complications Among Veterans

WASHINGTON – This week, Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) urgently called for investments in maternal health in response to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO’s report—commissioned by Underwood’s Protecting Moms Who Served Act—finds an alarming increase in the number of veterans who are suffering from severe pregnancy complications, at a rate that has nearly doubled over a nine-year period. The Protecting Moms Who Served Act was signed into law by President Biden in 2021.

 “These findings should alarm every person who cares about the well-being of our moms and veterans, and they underscore the need to take immediate and serious action to save lives,” said Underwood. “GAO’s findings are further proof that the evidence-based, comprehensive solutions in the Momnibus Act work. Bold solutions are the only way to end the maternal health crisis, and Congress must act urgently to pass the entire Momnibus.”

Key findings in the report—the first-ever comprehensive study revealing the scope of America’s maternal health crisis among our veterans—include:

• The severe maternal morbidity rate increased from 93.5 per 10,000 veteran deliveries in fiscal year 2011 to 184.6 per 10,000 in fiscal year 2020. This rate was highest among Black veterans.

• To improve maternal health outcomes, VA must review data on maternity care coordinators’ screening of veterans for mental health needs and conduct more oversight to make sure those screenings are completed. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States.

• VA must monitor severe maternal morbidity by race and ethnicity to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes.

Underwood is a co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, and the Protecting Moms Who Served Act was the first bill from her Momnibus Act signed into law. The Maternal Health for Veterans Act has since been added to the Momnibus to reauthorize these critical investments to improve maternal health care for veterans. The full Momnibus package makes critical investments in addressing social determinants of health, funding community-based organizations, growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce, and improving data collection processes.

Full text of GAO’s report can be found here.

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