Georgia bill would create postpartum care pilot program

A January 5, 2017, view of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)

Georgia Rep. Imani Barnes, D-Tucker, has introduced legislation to require the Georgia Department of Public Health to conduct a three-year pilot program to provide postpartum care through mobile health clinics in counties with limited maternity care and maternity care deserts.

House Bill 149, the Healthy Mothers Now Act, would establish a pilot program to deliver postpartum care via mobile health clinics in counties with limited maternity services and maternity care deserts.

“Every mother deserves access to the care and support she needs, no matter where she lives,” Barnes said in a statement. “With the introduction of the Healthy Mothers Now Act, we are taking a vital step toward closing the gap in maternal care by delivering essential postpartum services to mothers in limited maternity care counties and maternity care deserts.

“Georgia ranks among the top 10 states in maternal mortality, making it critical that we address this issue with urgency,” Barnes added. “By bringing care to mothers who may not have the means or resources, we increase access not only to maternal care but also to other crucial healthcare services. This pilot program would provide the resources needed to help new mothers across Georgia thrive. I look forward to working with my House colleagues to advance this bill through the legislative process.”

The legislation defines a limited maternity care county as a county with fewer than two hospitals or birth centers providing care or fewer than 60 obstetric providers per 10,000 births, and a maternity care desert is a county in Georgia that lacks both a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and obstetric providers.

As proposed, the measure would require the Department of Public Health to submit a comprehensive written report by June 30, 2026, and annually throughout the pilot program. The report would assess the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program, provide recommendations for expanding it statewide and propose changes to state law or policy.