MDH highlights widening maternal‑health disparities; committee hears bills on home births, annual maternal death reviews and consent for exams

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Health told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Feb. 20 that maternal‑health outcomes in the state mask stark racial and geographic disparities and described several state and federal programs aimed at addressing those gaps. Committee members then considered multiple bills that target maternal care access and oversight, including proposals to expand Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for home births, require annual maternal mortality reviews, and require explicit consent before educational sensitive exams on unconscious patients.

Commissioner Cunningham and departmental staff briefed the committee on data and programs. “While Minnesota has lower rates of pregnancy‑related death compared to the U.S. overall, maternal‑health disparities in Minnesota tell a different story,” Commissioner Cunningham said. She told senators that from 2017–2019 Black pregnant people in Minnesota were 2.3 times more likely to die of pregnancy‑or childbirth‑related causes than white pregnant people, and that American Indian maternal mortality was roughly four times higher. The department noted that 40% of maternal deaths occur in Greater Minnesota and that 36 of 87 counties do not have a birthing hospital.

The department detailed social determinants linked to poor outcomes: housing instability, food insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, incarceration histories, and limited access to prenatal and postpartum care. MDH staff said maternal mental health and substance use remain leading contributors to severe maternal morbidity and…