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Addressing America’s Maternal Racial Disparities and Subpar Maternal Care
To mark Black Maternal Health Week, The American Journal of Managed Care® sat down with Breana Lipscomb, the senior advisor of Maternal Health & Rights at the Center for Reproductive rights, to better understand how the United States came to have such poor maternal care, and what can be done to address disparities.
It’s well known the state of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States is subpar. From stark racial disparities in maternal deaths to a severe shortage of midwives and doulas, birthing people in the United States face unique challenges not seen in other high-income countries.
Plus, the recent increase in legislation aimed at curbing abortion access throughout the nation may serve to exacerbate these problems, as more women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term.
To better understand how we got here and examine some potential solutions to these problems, The American Journal of Manage Care® sat down with Breana Lipscomb, the senior advisor of Maternal Health & Rights at the Center for Reproductive Rights.
This week also marks Black Maternal Health Week, and on this episode of Managed Care Cast, Lipscomb outlines steps needed to improve care for Black mothers in the United States—a demographic that is more than 3 times more likely to have a maternal death compared with their white counterparts.
Listen above or through one of these podcast services:
See additional coverage of maternal care in the United States:
Matters in Managed Care: Bringing Equity at Birth
US Ranks Worst in Maternal Care, Mortality Compared With 10 Other Developed Nations
Racial Disparities Persist in Maternal Morbidity, Mortality and Infant Health
How Much Does It Cost to Give Birth in the United States? It Depends on the State
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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Workers Facing Greater Economic Hardship More Likely to Report Poor Health
June 2nd 2025US workers facing high economic hardship, especially those in lower-wage occupations, were significantly more likely to report fair or poor health, underscoring persistent disparities in worker well-being.
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