President Biden Signs Protecting Moms Who Served Act into Law

This week, President Joseph R. Biden signed the Protecting Moms Who Served Act into law. ACOG has long championed this legislation and is thrilled that it has been enacted to help advance our understanding of the scope of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among veterans, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic disparities, as well as make critical investments in maternity care coordination through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The investments made by the Protecting Moms Who Served Act will facilitate access to community resources to address social determinants of health, including nutrition and housing assistance; identify mental and behavioral health risk factors in the prenatal and postpartum periods and provide follow-up treatment options; and strengthen community partnerships with organizations that provide support services for new moms.

Additionally, this bill would invest in trainings for clinicians to better understand and serve the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum veterans, which may be affected or exacerbated by military service and the transition back to civilian life. Implementation of this critical legislation will help ensure that veterans who are pregnant or postpartum have access to the vital care and resources necessary to address their unique health needs.