Bill Overview
Title: NIH IMPROVE Act
Description: This bill provides statutory authority for an initiative of the National Institutes of Health that supports research on improving maternal health outcomes with a particular emphasis on mitigating maternal health disparities.
Sponsors: Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
Target Audience
Population: Women of childbearing age
Estimated Size: 64000000
- The bill focuses on maternal health, specifically aiming to improve outcomes and address disparities.
- Maternal health initiatives typically target expectant and new mothers, as well as those planning pregnancies.
- Given the emphasis on disparities, the bill likely aims to help marginalized groups who currently experience worse maternal health outcomes.
- Global estimates should consider all women of childbearing age who might be affected by the research outcomes and eventual healthcare improvements.
Reasoning
- The NIH IMPROVE Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes, which can lead to a significant increase in well-being for affected individuals.
- The primary target group consists of women of childbearing age, especially those from marginalized and minority groups with healthcare disparities.
- Since it is a research-focused policy, initial impacts may be low to moderate, as tangible benefits from research take time to manifest.
- The policy budget suggests a wide reach but limited immediate personal impact, as large sums are required to fund medical research without directly serving individuals.
- Simulated interviews include women of different ethnicities, ranging from unaffected to highly impacted individuals.
Simulated Interviews
Primary School Teacher (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the focus on improving maternal health is fantastic. It feels good to know there's more attention on issues that affect women like me.
- I hope the research helps create better care plans for pregnancies, especially for African American women like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Graphic Designer (Miami, FL)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful that the policy will lead to better health outcomes for women like me who had complications during pregnancy.
- It'll be a relief if my next pregnancy could be smoother because of new medical insights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Financial Analyst (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I haven't experienced any maternal health issues yet, but knowing there's research happening makes me feel more secure about potential future pregnancies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Lawyer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Research into maternal health is a good investment if it can improve care standards, though I'm generally content with my experience.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Waitress (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Healthcare access is tough in rural areas, so I hope this policy leads to better local healthcare practices and more midwife support.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Software Engineer (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm optimistic about having more research in maternal health; it could lead to new insights and policies that help make births safer across the country.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Professor of Medicine (Seattle, WA)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Research aimed at maternal health is vital and can influence future medical practices significantly, even if it doesn't impact me directly any longer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
College Student (Houston, TX)
Age: 21 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I'm not impacted now, it's good to know future healthcare improvements might reduce risks when I decide to have children.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Stay-at-home Mom (Portland, OR)
Age: 44 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Maternal health improvements are wonderful; I imagine they will really benefit expectant moms today compared to when I had my kids.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Nurse (Detroit, MI)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could mean huge improvements for women in underserved communities.
- I look forward to seeing increased resources for pregnant women, especially in minority communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $200000000 (Low: $180000000, High: $220000000)
Year 2: $200000000 (Low: $180000000, High: $220000000)
Year 3: $200000000 (Low: $180000000, High: $220000000)
Year 5: $200000000 (Low: $180000000, High: $220000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The policy's primary objective is to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly among marginalized groups.
- NIH’s existing infrastructure and experience in similar initiatives provide a strong backing for effective implementation.
- Potential partnerships with other health organizations could enhance the reach and efficiency of the program.
- Long-term benefits may offset initial spending, reducing healthcare costs nationwide.