DENVER (AP) — Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill to improve maternal health for minority women, as the U.S. recognizes Black Maternal Health Week.
About 700 women across the country die annually from complications during pregnancy, delivery and post-partum.
For Black and Indigenous women, they’re about three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bill passed the Senate Health & Human Services on Wednesday. The bill aims to expand Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year, improve race-based data collection on maternal health and ensure safe transfers between different health facilities.