Motherhood is more deadly in the United States than in other advanced countries, according to a recent New York Times article.
An American woman is about five times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as a British woman, for example, the newspaper reported. Women are even more at risk in certain states: a woman in Texas is about 10 times as likely to die from pregnancy as one in Spain or Sweden.
According to the op-ed, Republican-proposed healthcare reforms could make American maternal mortality rates even worse.
Women die in pregnancy and childbirth for a variety reasons, including lack of insurance and the difficulty of accessing Medicaid, growing legal and financial impediments to reproductive health services, and fewer women’s health clinics. Many maternal deaths are caused by preventable conditions that could be treated via prenatal care. Bottom line: expectant mothers aren’t getting the treatment they need, and cost is a major factor.
Transparency in healthcare cost would go a long way toward helping anyone, regardless of their insurance coverage, get necessary care—because it would enable them to price-shop for the most affordable care. Healthclx.com delivers that transparency, uncovering the hidden costs of healthcare and putting it online for consumers who already seek price information before making nearly every other purchase. Healthclx empowers patients to make smart decisions about their health and their money.
Source –
New York Times: “If Americans Love Moms, Why Do We Let Them Die?”
Leave a Reply