House Bill 10 filed in Kentucky to address maternal mortality rate

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A bill relating to maternal health in Kentucky is currently awaiting to hit the House floor.

Rep. Kim Moser, along with colleagues, has worked on a bill to help address Kentucky’s maternal mortality rate. The bill seeks to do a few things – firstly, provide access to mental health professionals should the need arise. It’s also aiming to adjust some insurance concerns, allowing women to enroll in insurance in case of an unexpected pregnancy.

Along with this, News 40 spoke to Rachel Tinius, an associate professor of exercise science at Western Kentucky University and CEO of “Bumpt Up”, an app that helps to keep women physically active and in better health during their pregnancy and offers health information.

Tinius said, “It just that’s naturally what happens is we we shift all of our focus to the baby, and so much of the time, moms forgot and then mom really needs help. I mean, mom’s adjusting to an entirely new reality. Sleepless nights are a thing, you know, Her body is changing, trying to figure out breastfeeding.”

During the research period for the bill, Moser and her team found that pregnancy isn’t a qualifying life event for all insurance providers, which is another issue the bill is hoping to address.

Tinius  says more resources need to be aimed at preventative care.

According to Moser, a leading factor contributing to maternal mortality just a year after birth is substance abuse, follow by other underlying conditions ,such as diabetes or obesity.

Tinius believes wholeheartedly that if you can get your health under control during your pregnancy, things look a lot brighter when it comes to delivery day.