Rep. Gregg Johnson Announces Illinois Birth Equity Blueprint to Promote Comprehensive and Equitable Maternal Health Options

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – State Rep. Gregg Johnson, D-Rock Island, announced the recent release of the Illinois Birth Equity Blueprint—a result of the Illinois Birth Equity Initiative he helped pass last year—which creates a long-term roadmap for improving birth outcomes for all Illinois mothers, no matter their background or circumstances.

“Every new mother deserves comprehensive healthcare coverage that meets their needs regardless of their birthplace, their race or how much money they make,” Johnson said. “I was proud to help pass the Illinois Birth Equity Initiative last year, and the new provisions we’re seeing in this blueprint are going to deliver high-quality affordable care for thousands of moms.”

Last year, Johnson helped pass the Illinois Birth Equity Initiative, which mandated many changes to and expansions of maternal healthcare in Illinois. Those changes included ensuring competitive Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, lactation consultants, home visitors and other community-based care providers who assist new mothers before, after and during birth. This blueprint builds on those improvements and targets systemic inequities in maternal healthcare.

Johnson has also supported recent statewide investments in this area including $12 million in child tax credits, $5 million to provide more home visits for working-families and $4.5 million in birth equity grants that have already funded the training of 186 doulas and 79 lactation consultants.

“Providing comprehensive maternal healthcare coverage means working families will have one less thing to worry about as they overcome the current high cost of living,” Johnson said. “Cutting the grocery tax, buying old medical debt, expanding maternal healthcare; each of these eases another financial burden on low-income and underserved people. My goal is a financially stable future for everyone in our community, and this maternal health blueprint is a big step towards making that a reality.”