Latest
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FY26 Appropriations Act Funds Maternal Health Initiatives, Falls Short of Investments Needed to Address Maternal and Infant Mortality Crisis
On February 3, Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes funding levels for the Federal Fiscal Year 2026 (FFY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS). These funding levels will continue through September 30, 2026. The appropriations measure provides critical funding for key…
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State Title V Programs Should Invest More in Maternal and Infant Health and Wellbeing
A recently released report, The Role of the Title V MCH Services Block Grant in Improving Maternal and Infant Health, examines the fiscal investments for pregnant women and infants made by Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant programs in the 59 states and territories. Co-authored by Arden Handler, myself, and Nautica…
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Threats to Maternal and Infant Health Won’t End After Shutdown Resolved
The current federal government shutdown is driven by failure of the Congress to finalize this year’s federal budget appropriations or adopt a Continuing Resolution (CR). The shutdown is already impacting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Head Start programs and other family supports, as Congress remains in a stand-still over extending ACA marketplace enhanced premium…
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The Vaccines for Children Program: A Solution to a Complex Challenge
Between 1982 and 1986, a vaccine liability crisis loomed as the greatest threat to immunizing our children. In this light, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-660) was enacted to address this problem by creating a system for “no-fault” compensation for families of children with adverse conditions related to routine pediatric immunizations.…
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Federal Threats to Maternal and Infant Health Highlighted in Health Affairs
A recent article in Health Affairs Forefront argues that threats to policies, programs, and data systems will substantially set back progress made over the past few years in addressing the maternal and infant mortality. As a group of experts who previously served as federally-appointed members of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…