What’s the news: The federal funding package passed earlier this year keeps money flowing to critical efforts championed by the AMA to improve maternal and premature infant health, as well as to prevent maternal deaths and preterm births.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, reauthorized the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act. That legislation increases authorized funding to $100 million annually through 2030, expands the scope of state maternal mortality review committees, and directs federal agencies to more regularly disseminate best practices. The budget deal also included the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act to expand federal research on preterm birth and improve outcomes for premature infants. The AMA endorsed both bills.
This is one of eight major wins for patients and physicians included in the budget deal. These victories didn’t happen by chance. They happened because the AMA amplified the impactful work of physician specialists in this space, as noted in the “AMA Advocacy Impact Report.”
Why this win matters: Maternal mortality represents a crisis in the U.S., with the nation’s mothers dying at a rate that supersedes those in virtually any other high-income country. Even more concerning is that 80% of all maternal deaths are preventable. The AMA is committed to reversing maternal mortality.
“Decades of work have taught us that maternal mortality is a complex issue driven by social, economic and systemic factors,” wrote AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, in a Leadership Viewpoints column published in December. “Clinical factors such as hypertensive disorders and cardiac conditions, as well as barriers to comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care, all play significant roles in maternal health.”
A study published earlier this year relayed findings from a national meeting of experts the AMA hosted on the topic of postpartum hypertension, which is responsible for more than 50% of maternal hypertension deaths. The AMA also has outlined seven keys to improving U.S. maternal health.
Learn more: The AMA also worked to support the extension of Medicaid coverage (PDF) for all postpartum mothers up to a year after they give birth, an option for states that was made permanent with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The AMA continues to advocate to encourage adoption by all 50 states of the postpartum Medicaid extension. Explore further the AMA’s advocacy, recommendations and initiatives to improve maternal health outcomes.
