Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health - Formerly 2020 Mom

Closing Gaps in Maternal Mental Health

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health is a national think tank, nonprofit organization advancing policies that support a health care system that routinely detects and treats maternal mental health disorders for every mother, every time.

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TRIUMPH for New Moms Act & Moms MATTER Act

2020 Mom’s Federal Policy Work in 2022: A Year in Review

November 23, 2022 by Sarah Johanek, MPH in POLICY

By Sarah Johanek, MPH

2022 was an important year for both federal mental health and maternal health policy. 2020 Mom led and supported critical pieces of legislation, engaged with key federal agencies, including the White House and CDC, and continued to serve as a top subject matter expert in not only maternal mental health policy, but also mental health parity and peer support.

The following details our work to advance federal policies to improve maternal mental health.

Legislation:

TRIUMPH for New Moms Act:

In 2021, 2020 Mom led the development and introduction of the Taskforce Recommending Improvements for Unaddressed Mental Perinatal & Postpartum Health (TRIUMPH) for New Moms Act (H.R. 4217/S. 2779). The TRIUMPH for New Moms Act would create a federal interdepartmental task force that would review existing programs for addressing MMHDs; eliminate any duplicative federal programs; identify best practices for addressing MMHDs; and ultimately develop a national strategy and offer recommendations to governors on how to implement that strategy to close gaps in maternal mental healthcare.

On May 24th, 2022, after significant advocacy efforts from the 2020 Mom policy team, individuals in our network, and non-profit partners, TRIUMPH was included in H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, a comprehensive mental health package.

On June 22, 2022, the House passed TRIUMPH for New Moms Act as part of H.R. 7666, the comprehensive mental health package. 2020 Mom is currently advocating for the inclusion of H.R. 7666 in Congress’ Omnibus funding bill being drafted by the Senate. We have made it this far by:

  • Inviting partner organizations to sign on to letters urging House and Senate leadership to quickly consider the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act. The letters can be accessed here:

    • CURES Letter to HELP Committee

    • Maternal Mental Health Inclusion in Mental Health Package

    • TRIUMPH HELP Package Letter

    • TRIUMPH Letter to Chairman Frank Pallone

  • We also disseminated two action alerts to our network, resulting in 134 individuals in the 2020 Mom network contacting their Member of Congress and/or Senator to urge their support of the TRIUMPH Act.

Moms Matter Act:

2020 Mom has supported the Shades of Blue Project in advancing the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909/S. 484), led by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Katko (R-NY), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). This bill would create grant programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to bolster and diversify the maternal mental health and substance use workforce. Both of these grant programs would have a particular focus on racial and ethnic minority groups.

Other Legislation:

In the past year, 2020 Mom has supported 38 federal bills that directly or indirectly impact maternal mental health. Some of these bills include:

  • Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (S. 1486)

  • Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021 (S.157)

  • Improving Data Collection for ACEs Act (S. 4432)

  • The Midwives for MOMs Act (H.R. 3352)

  • BABIES Act (H.R. 3337)

  • Suicide Prevention Act (S.4448)

  • RISE from Trauma Act (S.2086)

  • Expanding Access to Mental Health Training Act (S. 4461)

  • Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act (S. 4616)

  • Rural Moms Act (H.R. 769)

  • SHINE for Autumn Act (S. 3972)

  • Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act (H.R. 3110)

Federal Policy Letters

Letters to lawmakers and federal agencies are a crucial part of policy development.

In the past year, 2020 Mom developed nine letters to share our recommendations and policy priorities. We also signed onto 38 letters developed by other non profit partners.

Letters 2020 Mom Developed and Submitted:

  • Comment Letter to HHS: The VP’s MH Blueprint

  • Comment Letter to CMS: Our Analysis of the Maternity Care Action Plan

  • NIH RFI on NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women

  • The 2023 Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review

  • Public Comment from the Maternal Mental Health Field: Screening for Depression, Suicide Risk, and Anxeity in Adults

  • 2023 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Comments re: Integration of Behavioral Health in Medical Settings and related

  • Maternal Mental Health FY23 Appropriations Letter of Support

  • Comment Letter: USPSTF Screening for Depression, Suicide Risk, and Anxiety in Adults

  • Comment Letter: Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

Blog Posts Updating the Field

To ensure that the field had access to the work happening at a federal level, 2020 Mom published the following policy blogs.

  • Child Care and Universal Pre-K: Investments in the Nation’s Children & Families Within the Build Back Better Act

  • Federal Agencies Submit Report to Congress on Parity

  • 2020 Mom Applauds the White House’s Plan to Address Mental Health in America

  • Congress and President Biden Pass Final FY 2022 Funding Package

  • Breaking: The White House Announces 12 Month Medicaid Coverage Extension for Postpartum Moms & Support for Doulas

  • Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Mental Health Parity

  • President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposes Large Investments in Maternal Health and Mental Health

  • Panel Recap: Closing Racial Disparity Gaps Through Policy Solutions

  • CMS Proposes New Rules Including Hospital “Birthing Friendly” Designation to Address Quality and Equity

  • The TRIUMPH for New Moms Act Advances in Congress as Part of a Comprehensive Mental Health Package

  • 2020 Mom’s Statement on the Overturn of Roe v. Wade

  • Updates to ACA Insurance Plans for 2023 and the Upcoming Expiration of Subsidies

  • An Open Letter to the White House: Our Analysis of Maternal Mental Health Actions in the Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis

  • The World Health Organization’s Maternal Mental Health Actions in the “World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All”

  • An Open Letter to CMS: Our Analysis of the Maternity Care Action Plan

  • CDC: Maternal Mental Health Disorders are the Leading cause of Pregnancy-Related Deaths

  • Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports on Maternal Health: Outcomes Worsened and Disparities Persisted During the Pandemic

  • CMS’ Final Rule on “Birthing-Friendly” Hospital Designations

  • An Open Letter to USPSTF: Our Analysis of the Draft Recommendations for Screening for Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide Risk in Adults

We are honored to collect insights and form policy pathways for the maternal mental health field. To help support our ongoing efforts to change the maternal mental health care system, please consider donating here. Together, we truly are making a difference.

November 23, 2022 /Sarah Johanek, MPH
federal policy, review, advocacy, POST
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