SMFM Statement in Response to Senate Passage of H.R. 1

With today's passage of H.R. 1, the US Senate moved one step closer to enacting legislation that threatens health insurance coverage for millions of low-income Americans and closure of hospitals and clinics providing essential healthcare to people living in rural and underserved communities.  

The Society for Maternal Fetal-Medicine (SMFM) is particularly concerned about the impact that the bill’s $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid would have on pregnant people and infants that rely on the program to receive quality care before, during, and after pregnancy. The Medicaid program covers more than 40 percent of all births in the US and nearly half of all births in rural communities. H.R. 1 would jeopardize care for millions of pregnant patients and their infants, as states will be forced to reduce benefits and severely limit who qualifies for Medicaid in order to compensate for program cuts. Further, the likely closure of rural hospitals from these cuts will cost entire communities access to health care, including low-income pregnant people and their infants. 

SMFM urges members of the House of Representatives to reject H.R. 1 in its current form and, instead, pursue legislation that preserves and expands access to high-quality pregnancy care for all Americans. 

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About SMFM     
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for obstetricians who have additional training in high-risk, complicated pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 6,500 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to reduce disparities and optimize the health of high-risk pregnant people and their families. SMFM and its members are dedicated to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes and assuring medically appropriate treatment options are available to all patients.     

 Media Contact: Greg Phillips, Director of Communications, Press@smfm.og