It’s well known the state of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States is subpar. From stark racial disparities in maternal deaths to a severe shortage of midwives and doulas, birthing people in the United States face unique challenges not seen in other high-income countries.

Plus, the recent increase in legislation aimed at curbing abortion access throughout the nation may serve to exacerbate these problems, as more women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term.

To better understand how we got here and examine some potential solutions to these problems, The American Journal of Manage Care® sat down with Breana Lipscomb, the senior advisor of Maternal Health & Rights at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

This week also marks Black Maternal Health Week, and on this episode of Managed Care Cast, Lipscomb outlines steps needed to improve care for Black mothers in the US—a demographic that is more than 3 times more likely to have a maternal death compared with their white counterparts.