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Excerpt from www.wgem.com
SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – Black women in Illinois are three times as likely to suffer from a pregnancy-related medical condition compared to white women according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). It’s why Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, both Democrats, worked with state lawmakers to pass a bill aimed at improving birth equity and outcomes across the state.
“Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, but it’s not just about Black women,” Stratton said. “We think about women in rural communities, and in so many ways where all women deserve access to affordable and accessible health care, and so the birth equity initiative does that.”
The bill would require private insurance companies to cover all pregnancy, postpartum and newborn care provided by perinatal doulas or licensed certified professional midwives. This includes home births, home visits and support during labor.
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