Mallory McMorrow shops maternal health plan with focus on Black mothers, addressing inequities

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) unveiled a new maternal health policy platform in her bid for U.S. Senate, with a focus on inequities facing mothers of color and bringing enacted statewide policies to the federal level.

"Having safe, accessible, and compassionate care when you're having a baby should be a given in our country, but it's not," McMorrow said in a press release on Monday, at the start of Black Maternal Health Week. "Black women in Michigan are more than 75% more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and, through the leadership of activists and advocates here in our state, we have enacted real solutions to keep women healthy and safe throughout pregnancy and childbirth."

McMorrow emphasized that Black women are significantly more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and even when making considerations for socioeconomic status and access to care, those disparities in Michigan are some of the highest.

Disparities can often be mitigated by access to a midwife or doula care, which, under McMorrow's plan, would be required in terms of reimbursements from both Medicaid and private insurers.

McMorrow's plan includes bringing Michigan's Rx Kids program nationwide. Rx Kids is a prenatal and infant direct cash support program that launched in Flint in 2024 and has since expanded to over 40 communities around the state.

That has been a part of McMorrow's plan since January, and she proposed it as a better alternative to President Donald Trump's "baby bonus" program.

Being able to tie her plans to a policy proposed by a Republican president makes her optimistic about being able to execute the plan on a federal level despite the usual political gridlock in Washington. McMorrow said as much at the "State of the Mama" event in March, hosted by Detroit-based maternal advocacy group Mothering Justice.

"There is consensus from the president to Republicans to Democrats that it is much too expensive to start a family right now. Clearly, we need to fix it," she said. "So, I am looking for opportunities where there's probably unexpected alliances and agreements."

While the program garnered fairly widespread support, it has in recent months become a target for Republican leadership in Lansing, who cut $18.5 million for the program in December.

McMorrow also advocated for passing Michigan's earned paid sick leave legislation at the federal level.

"As your U.S. Senator, I will take the policies that Michigan's maternal health advocates have fought for to the federal level: increasing access to birth centers, requiring health insurance to cover midwives, doulas, maternal mental health, and other services women need," McMorrow said in her policy rollout package. "And we'll reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that are kicking people off their coverage, shuttering hospitals, and making it even harder on moms and families."

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Courtesy of Michigan Advance