Hannah Killian: Bill could help provide health coverage for Idaho’s new moms and infants

By Hannah Killian

It’s a scary time to be pregnant in the state of Idaho. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Idaho’s maternal mortality rate soar by 121.5%. Most of these deaths were found to be preventable, even treatable with proper medical care. A lack of knowledge regarding the significance of health events, limited access to care, and financial resources needed for treatment have been cited as the top contributors to maternal deaths in our state. With the statewide health care provider shortage, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to obtain quality and timely access to maternal health care. Not to mention that Idaho has lost 22% of its practicing obstetricians over the last 15 months. Rural communities face an almost 10% greater probability of maternal death than urban areas.

For moms, access to postpartum care in the 12 months following delivery is equally as important as prenatal care. In an analysis of more than 2,400 women who had normal range blood pressures while pregnant, 1 in 10 went on to be diagnosed with hypertension in the year following childbirth. In severe cases, women develop eclampsia, which is life-threatening hypertensive emergency causing seizures, bleeding and clotting issues, stroke, kidney failure, heart failure, and more. Nearly a quarter of the women in this study were diagnosed more than six weeks after delivery, and I’ve diagnosed some cases more than 12 weeks after delivery.

In Idaho, 25% of moms experience postpartum depression which is nearly double the national average. Most of these moms go untreated. Maternal depression has been correlated with pre-term delivery, low birth weight and developmental delays, which could explain the rise in pre-term deliveries and low birth weight babies in Idaho. These babies require higher levels of care and often extended stays in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which can cost families thousands in medical bills. As a practicing family doctor, I have seen moms who are fearful of the expense of medical care and cannot obtain an appointment due to provider shortages resulting in delays in care, often around the time of delivery. These mothers tend to have more complicated deliveries, requiring longer hospital stays, and can lead to life-altering complications and poor newborn outcomes.

These children are our future, and investing in the health of their mother is an investment in the healthy development of children.

Idaho ranks last in the nation in providing health coverage assistance to moms with low incomes through Medicaid. This coverage ends abruptly 60 days after the baby is born. Idaho moms deserve better, we must do all that we can to ensure moms have access to the life-saving care they need.

Idaho lawmakers can meaningfully support healthy moms and strong babies this legislative session by increasing Medicaid eligibility and extending postpartum coverage. House Bill 633 is a great step toward ensuring new moms have consistent health coverage after birth by extending Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months. I urge you to contact your legislators and ask them to support HB 633.

Hannah Killian is a family medicine resident physician in Treasure Valley who has a particular interest in maternal-child health, patient education and advocacy. She provides full-spectrum medical care to individuals and families regardless of their insurance coverage.