Pennsylvania moms are facing a crisis.

For far too long, too many mothers have died as a result of childbirth or pregnancy. The sad reality is that many of these deaths are preventable.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021, a shocking 1,205 women died due to maternal causes nationally, a sharp increase from 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019.

Even more concerning is the stark racial disparity, with the maternal mortality rate for Black women estimated to be 3.5 times higher than that of white women.

The CDC reports that 84% of these deaths could have been prevented; this is unacceptable.

In Pennsylvania, pregnancy associated deaths increased by 21% in the five years leading up to 2021, and health conditions and complications related to pregnancy and childbirth increased by 40% between 2016 and 2022.

As community and statewide organizations that serve and advocate for families across Pennsylvania, we are deeply concerned about the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis.

This crisis will not disappear on its own; we need legislative action to help solve it.

Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) of Illinois has introduced the CARE for Moms Act, legislation that proposes holistic solutions to the maternal mortality crisis.

The CARE for Moms Act makes it mandatory for states to offer Medicaid coverage for mothers for one year following the birth of a child, a step that Pennsylvania has already taken, and expands that to include the dental health needs of pregnant and postpartum women.

The legislation also provides additional funding for providers to give patients the best possible care.

It also has provisions to fund mobile obstetric units which will especially benefit rural communities without easy access to appropriate maternity care.

According to a March of Dimes report, 9% of counties in Pennsylvania are considered “maternity care deserts” and lack access to a hospital or birth center that offers obstetric care, and another 19% only have “moderate access” to maternity care.

It is unacceptable that far too many Black women are disproportionately impacted by the maternal mortality crisis.

The CARE For Moms Act provides funding to support doulas who can support moms from the prenatal to the postpartum period.

Doulas are trained professionals who provide emotional and physical support during before, during, and after childbirth.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, expansion of access to doula care has the potential to reduce disparities in outcomes and improve care experiences.

Congress must pass the CARE for Moms Act and provide our mothers with the resources they need to thrive.

We urge the members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to support this critical legislation and pass it swiftly in order to lower the maternal mortality rate and get moms access to the care they deserve.

Antoinette Kraus, PHAN, and Marianne Fray of Maternity Care Coalition contributed to this commentary.