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Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Youngkin signs several maternal health bills, tweaks another on unconscious bias training
Gov. Glenn Youngkin. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed several bills aimed at improving maternal health in the commonwealth, building on promises both he and Democratic leadership made to support parents and health care workers. Dubbed the 'Momnibus' package, the Democrat-led bills stem from a Black Maternal Health Summit hosted last year in the state Capitol that brought medical professionals, advocates and lawmakers from across the state and beyond for roundtable discussions and panels. Alongside these conversations, a rural health committee spent months touring Virginia, gathering firsthand accounts of maternal care gaps in underserved communities. Resulting legislation included bills aimed at addressing disparities, from requiring implicit bias training for medical license renewals to strengthening obstetrics training in hospitals and expanding support for midwives and doulas. While the state has previously allocated funding to boost OB-GYN and family practice medical residencies in the state, maternal healthcare workers like midwives and doulas are more likely to live longer-term in the areas that they serve. Both are key players in filling rural health care gaps as well as addressing health care disparities for patients of color. To that end, Youngkin has signed Senate Bill 1352 and House Bill 1635, which build on a 2021 law that allowed some midwives to establish private practices after completing 1,000 training hours under agreements with other physicians. The new bills, by Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun, and Del. Joshua Cole, D-Spotsylvania, respectively, will extend that opportunity to other types of midwives. Youngkin signs bill to protect reproductive and sexual health data, vetoes right to contraception Relatedly, Youngkin didn't fully approve but also didn't outright reject House Bill 1923, which would create more pay parity for midwives. In lieu of a signature, his amendment requires the Health Insurance Reform Commission conduct an assessment and that if the legislature accepts his tweaked version of the bill, it would be subject to reenactment next year. Bolstering emergency responses, Youngkin also signed House Bill 1904 by Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, which will allow midwives and nurse practitioners to be on 24-hour on-call duty rosters. The governor further approved House Bill 2753 by Del. Cliff Hayes, D-Chesapeake, which requires hospitals and outpatient birthing facilities to establish protocol for identifying and responding to obstetric emergencies. He also signed House Bill 2083 by Del. Irene Shin, D-Fairfax, which will establish a special enrollment period for qualified pregnant people on Virginia's health insurance exchange. A survey the state conducted last year showed long wait times for new enrollees' paperwork to be processed. This contributed to delayed access to care for people to schedule their appointments. Though Youngkin followed through on his stated goals of remedying maternal health care issues, for the second year in a row he is seeking an amendment on the unconscious bias training bill. Senate Bill 740 by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton and House Bill 1649 by Hayes would require workers to complete unconscious bias and cultural competency training to renew medical licenses. The bills have been carried for several years in a row. Last year, with bipartisan co-patrons and supporting votes, they reached Youngkin's desk where he also sought amendments before vetoing them. Like last year, Youngkin's substitute strips the mention of cultural competency and unconscious bias, adding instead 'populations that data indicate experience significantly greater than average maternal mortality, postpartum complications and infant mortality.' Governor unleashes veto storm to drown progressive legislation Studies show that Black people are more likely to experience negative maternal health outcomes, in part, due to providers' racial bias. Black women are also more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Youngkin's substitute also would limit the training to two hours. Locke, who has carried the Senate version of the bill for several years, said that 'no one can overcome unconscious bias and cultural incompetence by viewing a two-hour video.' As she did last year, she plans to reject his substitute, which will likely garner another veto from the governor. 'My point to him is he needs to overcome his own implicit bias regarding Black maternal health issues,' Locke said. 'It is clear that he has no clue.' While Youngkin has been supportive of doulas, which are key companions and advocates for parents-to-be, his amendment to a bill to expand doula state health insurance coverage postpartum left one of its patrons perplexed. House Bill 1614 by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, and Senate Bill 1418 by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, could allow for Virginia's health insurance to cover up to 10 doula visits — four during pregnancy and six afterwards. Youngkin's substitute changes the semantics by removing the words 'birthing people' and changing it to 'birthing women.' Though most pregnancies are experienced by cisgender women, transgender and nonbinary people with uteruses can still get pregnant, groups that the original language of the bill would have included. The governor's amendment also removed a provision referring to 'culturally appropriate and individualized care.' Aird called it 'frustrating' to see the removal of culturally tailored care from her bill. She also said his fixation on gendered language is 'distracting from what really matters — getting people the care they need to improve outcomes and save lives.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Idaho Senate says health workers shouldn't have to violate religious beliefs to provide care
Idaho state Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d'Alene, (right) listens to proceedings during the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee meeting on Jan. 7, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Senate voted along party lines Monday to pass a bill that prevents health care professionals and entities from being forced to participate in nonemergency procedures that would violate their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d'Alene, and Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, co-sponsored House Bill 59, which they named the Medical Ethics Defense Act. The bill states, in part: 'Health care providers shall have the right of conscience and, pursuant to this right, shall not be required to participate in or pay for a medical procedure, treatment, or service that violates such health care provider's conscience.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Bjerke said the bill was patterned after a law passed during the 2024 legislative session, Senate Bill 1352, which states that counselors and therapists are not required to counsel clients in support of goals, outcomes or behaviors that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. Bjerke told senators Monday his new bill would apply many of the same principles from last year's counselors bill and apply it to health care professionals. 'This proposed legislation is intended to protect conscience rights of health care professionals and health care entities. It protects them from being forced to participate in non-emergency procedures that would violate their sincerely held religious moral or ethical beliefs,' Bjerke said. On the other hand, Sen. Ron Taylor, D-Hailey, said the bill fundamentally confuses the relationship between personal conscience and professional duty. 'This bill, in its current form, I believe, would transform Idaho's health care system from one based on patient needs to one based more on provider preferences,' Taylor said. 'It would allow any health care provider, any worker, any ambulance operator, hospital employee or health care payer, the ability to deny anyone medical care based on claiming an objection due to their conscience.' CONTACT US If passed into law, Taylor worried the bill would allow ambulance drivers to object to transporting a patient if the patient did something to offend them, or a hospital staffer could refuse to admit a pregnant woman suffering a miscarriage if the staffer opposed abortion, or a pharmacist could refuse to prescribe vaccines or antidepressants if it violated their personal beliefs. In the end, the Senate voted 28-6 to pass the bill. All Senate Republicans voted in favor of it, while all six Senate Democrats voted against it. The Idaho House of Representatives already voted 58-11 to pass the bill Feb. 11, but since then the Idaho Senate amended the bill. House Bill 59 now heads back to the Idaho House for House members to consider whether to agree with the Senate amendment. If the Idaho House agrees with the amendment, the bill would be sent to Gov. Brad Little for final consideration. If the bill reaches Little's desk, he could sign it into law, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. If the bill is passed into law, it would take effect immediately upon being signed into law. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maternal health bills move forward, now Youngkin holds the final say
Tiffany Casby cradles her newborn son Zayne, shortly after birthing him at Embrace Midwifery & Birth Center in Richmond in 2017. (Photo by Cheyenne Varner). For the first time in her career, Nichole Wardlaw feels like policymakers are finally listening — not just to her, but to Black maternal health professionals and the patients they serve. 'I feel like I've been seen and heard, and I've been doing this work for a long time,' said Wardlaw, a certified nurse midwife with two decades of experience. Wardlaw has been a steady presence for parents in need, but in recent years, Virginia lawmakers have also begun to take notice. Their efforts, shaped by voices like Wardlaw's, have led to a slate of maternal health-focused bills moving through the General Assembly — collectively dubbed the 'Momnibus' package. The legislative push follows last fall's Black Maternal Health Summit at the Virginia Capitol, where medical professionals, advocates, and lawmakers from across the state and beyond convened for roundtable discussions and panels. Alongside these conversations, a rural health committee spent months touring Virginia, gathering firsthand accounts of maternal care gaps in underserved communities. The result: a range of proposals aimed at addressing disparities, from requiring implicit bias training for medical license renewals to strengthening obstetrics training in hospitals and expanding support for midwives and doulas — both critical players in bridging maternal healthcare gaps. One piece of the package, Senate Bill 1352, sponsored by Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun, builds on a 2021 law that allowed midwives to establish private practices after completing 1,000 hours under agreements with other physicians. His proposal, along with House Bill 1635 by Del. Joshua Cole, D-Spotsylvania, would extend that opportunity to other types of midwives, expanding access to maternal care statewide. For Wardlaw, spending 15 years working in hospitals revealed a stark reality — many Black patients didn't feel safe in those settings. Now, as a certified nurse midwife providing care outside hospital walls, she's able to meet clients where they are, which is especially critical for rural patients who face longer travel times after a wave of obstetrics unit closures in recent years. 'What I was finding is that being in the hospital was not beneficial for many Black women,' Wardlaw said. 'A lot were leaving the hospital system because they were afraid.' Studies show Black parents-to-be experience disproportionately negative maternal health outcomes, often due to provider bias. Black women are also more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, a disparity confirmed by Virginia's Maternal Mortality Review Team. Still, unassisted home births can pose risks if medical complications arise, making midwives like Wardlaw an essential bridge in maternal care. Certified nurse midwives are not only registered nurses but also trained specialists in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Other types of certified midwives may come from different healthcare backgrounds but provide similarly vital services. Several bills in the 'Momnibus' package focus on strengthening midwifery. House Bill 1923, sponsored by Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, seeks to establish pay parity for midwives, while HB 1904, from Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, would ensure midwives and nurse practitioners have 24-hour on-call services. Katie Page, a certified nurse midwife serving Farmville and Lynchburg, sees this legislative session as a turning point. She recalled speaking with lawmakers last summer when the rural health committee visited Farmville, urging them to find ways to support midwifery. 'Magic' is happening around maternal health support this legislative session, Page said. Access to maternal care remains a challenge in Virginia, where 15% of residents lack a birthing hospital within a 30 minute drive, according to a March of Dimes report. Last year, lawmakers allocated state funding to expand OB-GYN and family medicine residencies, hoping to strengthen the workforce. But while doctors trained in Virginia sometimes leave for other states, midwives tend to remain in the communities they serve. Still, Page is encouraged by lawmakers' effort to support a broad range of maternal health professionals and the governor's expressed support for addressing maternal healthcare. 'I'm glad to see lawmakers taking a both/and approach rather than an either/or one' Page said. Wardlaw had high hopes for HB 2102, sponsored by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, which would have made pregnancy an automatic qualifier for Medicaid enrollment. However, the measure failed. Youngkin has signaled support for some maternal health initiatives, including funding doulas and perinatal hubs in his proposed budget amendments. But he could still block certain bills that reach his desk. One proposal that previously met resistance is SB 740 by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, and HB 1649 by Del. Cliff Hayes, D-Suffolk, which would require implicit bias training for medical professionals during license renewals. Sen. Chris Head, R-Botetourt, co-patroned Locke's bill this year, but a similar measure was rejected in 2023. Rather than outright vetoing it last time, Youngkin proposed an amendment requiring two hours of continuing education on maternal health disparities instead of a broader bias training program. Locke rejected the revision, arguing that his approach fell short. It was 'a case of unconscious bias and a lack of cultural competency,' she said. With the 2025 legislative session wrapping up this week, Youngkin has until March 24 to sign, veto or amend the maternal health bills that make it to his desk. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
