Harris introduces bill to combat racial bias in maternal health care

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who is running for president, on Wednesday reintroduced a bill to address racial disparities in maternal health care.

The proposal would invest $25 million in training programs for medical professionals to fight racial bias in maternal health. 

Another $150 million grant program would help states identify high-risk pregnancies to provide mothers with “culturally competent care.” 

{mosads}“Black mothers across the country are facing a health crisis that is driven in part by implicit bias in our health care system,” Harris said in a statement Wednesday. 

“We must take action to address this issue, and we must do it with the sense of urgency it deserves.” 

The U.S. has the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths among industrialized countries, and black women are three- to four-times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

A companion bill was also introduced Wednesday by Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. 

“We cannot address the black maternal health crisis facing this country until we address racial disparities in healthcare,” Adams said in a statement.