Bill Overview
Title: Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2022
Description: This bill expands the scope of the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to include research and activities to prevent stillbirths.
Sponsors: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Target Audience
Population: Parents and families potentially affected by stillbirths
Estimated Size: 24000
- The bill focuses on preventing stillbirths through the expansion of maternal and child health services.
- Globally, because stillbirth rates vary from country to country, this legislation could have beneficial insights applicable worldwide.
- In 2021, the World Health Organization estimated about 2 million stillbirths occur each year globally.
- The research and activities funded could contribute to global health knowledge and best practices in preventing stillbirths.
Reasoning
- We need to consider the diversity among the target population which includes variations in socio-economic status, racial and ethnic backgrounds, geographic locations, and access to healthcare resources.
- The budget restrictions suggest that while efforts will be made to target at-risk populations, not all individuals facing potential stillbirth scenarios will benefit in the same measure immediately.
- Given the size of the problem and the available budget, we expect a gradual impact over years rather than immediate changes.
- To simulate the potential variation in impact, we include individuals who are not directly affected, those with low and high risk, and those who have no perceived immediate change but may benefit in the long-term from the general improvement in health system capabilities.
Simulated Interviews
Financial Analyst (New York, NY)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad to hear that there is a specific focus on preventing stillbirths. It makes me feel a bit more secure knowing that there are more resources being directed that way.
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 |
Elementary School Teacher (Jackson, MS)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The bill feels like a dedication to families like mine who've experienced such loss. It gives me hope that maybe there could be better outcomes now.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Tech Consultant (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'd like to see these policies actually result in measurable reductions in stillbirth rates. Awareness and education need to be a top priority too.
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 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Nurse (Denver, CO)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As someone who's seen the impact of these tragedies, I think any improvement in our system to support mothers can only be positive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retail Worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It feels like there's a little more support. I only hope I get access to any new resources quickly enough.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Farmer (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to see more attention to these issues, especially in rural areas where we don't always get what we need.
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 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Software Engineer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I'm not directly affected, it's heartening to see policies aiming to reduce suffering during maternity.
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 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Community Health Worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Every step towards improving public health is a win in my book, but we need to ensure equity in how these resources are distributed.
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 |
Freelance Writer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think prevention through research is important. Just hope it doesn't take too long to see results.
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 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Stay-at-home mom (Austin, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any help in preventing other families from going through what we did is welcome. I feel mixed emotions but hopeful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $51000000 (Low: $40800000, High: $61200000)
Year 3: $52020000 (Low: $41616000, High: $62424000)
Year 5: $54100840 (Low: $43280672, High: $64821008)
Year 10: $59601009 (Low: $47680807, High: $71521211)
Year 100: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- Understanding the exact funding mechanism for research and prevention activities is crucial to accurately assess federal budget impact.
- Analyzing long-term cost savings associated with reduced healthcare expenses from successful stillbirth prevention is complex and subject to change.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of newly funded activities in actual stillbirth reduction will determine if further funding is necessary.