A Powerful Opportunity to Disrupt Persistent Maternal & Child Health Disparities in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is shamefully ranked as one of the worst states in the nation for maternal and child health disparities. Rooted in institutional and interpersonal racism, women and infants of color have been subject to severe inequities in birthing for generations; repeatedly failed by the healthcare systems meant to protect them. Most often, marginalized communities bear the brunt of inadequate access to care, improper treatment by healthcare providers, and insufficient resources to receive the care they need. Equity in mothering and birthing is mandatory for Wisconsin — the livelihood, experience, and pain of marginalized women and infants has been ignored and left unaddressed for far too long.

That’s why the Wisconsin Birth Equity Act is essential for our state. This bill package aims to help dismantle our state's most onerous barriers to child and maternal health.  The Wisconsin Birth Equity and its innovative policy solutions are nothing short of groundbreaking. This package of bills is a significant first step toward instituting meaningful policy and system changes for Wisconsin’s mothers and children of color.
Sponsored by :
Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison)
Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee)
The Wisconsin Birth Equity Act will:
  • Provide an at-home wellness visit within the first two weeks of delivery
  • Mandate insurance coverage of maternal mental health risk screenings
  • Repeal Wisconsin’s birth cost recovery law
  • Establish pregnancy as a qualifying event for employer-sponsored health plans
  • Remove the sales tax on breastfeeding equipment and supplies
  • Expand access to dental care for pregnant people receiving BadgerCare

Why Wisconsin Needs the Birth Equity Act

Additional Policy Recommendations

The Birth Equity Act (BEA) represents a powerful "recipe" of novel policies that can help us disrupt maternal and child health disparities in Wisconsin. But BEA alone won't be enough. Here are a list of additional policies available now to advance in our State Legislature to help us advance birth equity!