Sec. 302. Report on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans
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Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes for veterans. The report under subsection
(a)shall include the following: To the extent practicable— the number of pregnant and postpartum veterans who have experienced a pregnancy-related death or pregnancy-associated death in the most recent 10 years of available data; the rate of pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births for pregnant and postpartum veterans; the number of cases of severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans in the most recent year of available data; the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity rates among pregnant and postpartum veterans; identification of the causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity that are unique to veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and infertility or miscarriages that may be caused by service in the Armed Forces; identification of the causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity that are unique to veterans from racial and ethnic minority groups; identification of any correlations between the former rank of veterans and their maternal health outcomes; the number of veterans who have been diagnosed with infertility by a health care provider of the Veterans Health Administration each year in the most recent five years, disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and geographical location; the number of veterans who have received a clinical diagnosis of unexplained infertility by a health care provider of the Veterans Health Administration each year in the most recent five years; and the extent to which the rate of incidence of clinically diagnosed infertility among veterans compare or differ to the rate of incidence of clinically diagnosed infertility among the civilian population. An assessment of the barriers to determining the information required under paragraph
(1)and recommendations for improvements in tracking maternal health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum veterans— who have health care coverage through the Department; enrolled in the TRICARE program; with employer-based or private insurance; enrolled in the Medicaid program; and who are uninsured. Recommendations for legislative and administrative actions to increase access to mental and behavioral health care for pregnant and postpartum veterans who screen positively for maternal mental or behavioral health conditions. Recommendations to address homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, and related issues among pregnant and postpartum veterans. Recommendations on how to effectively educate maternity care providers on best practices for providing maternity care services to veterans that addresses the unique maternal health care needs of veteran populations. Recommendations to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans and to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes for each of the groups described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(E)of paragraph (2). Recommendations to improve coordination of care between the Department and non-Department facilities for pregnant and postpartum veterans, including recommendations to improve— health record interoperability; and training for the directors of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks, directors of medical facilities of the Department, chiefs of staff of such facilities, maternity care coordinators, and staff of relevant non-Department facilities. An assessment of the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to access maternal health data collected by the Department of Health and Human Services and, if applicable, recommendations to increase such authority. Any other information the Comptroller General determines appropriate with respect to the reduction of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans and to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes for veterans.