Eliminating disparities in maternal mortality: The Affordable Care Act as a tool for health equity

Globally, the United States ranks 40th in maternal mortality, far below nations with similar levels of wealth, health care resources and health care spending. Even more shameful, the majority of those deaths are preventable, and they are concentrated in communities of color. Black women are at least three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications as white women, and Latinas also suffer disproportionately. Though there are certainly multiple contributing factors, lack of access to health care is one of the likely root causes. Therefore women's health and health equity advocates see great potential in the changes taking place today. By expanding eligibility for the Medicaid program and establishing subsidies to make health insurance more affordable, the Affordable Care Act is making it possible for many more low-income women to get access to the health care system. By guaranteeing coverage for maternity care and making women's preventive health services available without extra charges, the law is making the health services that women need to have healthy pregnancies affordable for women who may have struggled in the past to get the care they needed. And by increasing funding to community health centers and helping to train a more diverse health care workforce, the law is reforming the system so that it can better serve the needs of women of color and poor women.