The Michigan Senate recently passed a series of bills aimed at holding the Michigan health care system accountable and addressing racial disparities for expecting mothers.
Introduced last spring by Sens. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.), Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), the package, known as the “Momnibus” bill package, consists of up to 10 bills.
Built alongside existing community initiatives and approved by advocacy groups, the package aims to incorporate anti-discrimination measures, protections for patients and data requirements to ensure that bias and improper care for Black mothers are erased from the Michigan health care system.
Specific measures include the creation of the Biased and Unjust Care Reporting Act to report instances of discrimination, regulation by the Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to ensure portections are in place and the expansion of Medicaid to include perinatal and gynecology visits and services.
“This commonsense legislation paves the way for positive pregnancy and birthing experiences rooted in empowerment, love and joy,” said the lead sponsor Sen. Geiss per an official release. “As a mom and policymaker, I’m proud to continue leading this effort to help protect Black and Brown mamas and babies from systemic injustices that have disproportionately harmed our communities for far too long.”
This week, we passed the “Momnibus” maternal health care bill package out of the Michigan Senate.
— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) April 18, 2025
During Black Maternal Health Week, in a time when we hear how difficult it is to get anything done, here’s why this bipartisan legislation is so crucial and how it will impact…
In general, across the nation, Black mothers suffer from worse maternal health outcomes, bearing the burden of higher maternal mortality rates and preterm births. Per the KFF, Black mothers are over three times as likely as white mothers to pass away from a pregnancy-related complication.
While white women have a rate of 18.1 deaths per 100,000 births, Black women record a rate of 55.9 deaths per every 100,000 births. Black women are also most likely to have a preterm birth, making up 14.6% of the preterm births in 2022 alone. About 14.8% of Black women were also involved in low birthweight births as well.
A large part of these higher rates are perpetrated by the lack of proper health care. Most often, Black women are denied health care until late in their pregnancies or when complications already arise. When they do receive health care, they are most likely to be faced with inadequate health care, dealing with bias and discrimination as they navigate being denied health options.
“Everyone deserves access to a safe, affirming pregnancy and birthing experience, and today’s Senate passage of our Momnibus package is significant progress toward that reality,” said Sen. Cavanagh per a press release.
“As the youngest female Senator, I’m proud to be a part of this historic effort to dismantle systemic inequities that have historically worked against the health and well-being of Black and Brown families. Let’s get this across the finish line for the betterment of Michigan’s moms and babies.”
