On September 18, 2025, a seismic shift rocked the American health care landscape as Congress passed the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping budget measure that will slash Medicaid funding, destabilize Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, and allow enhanced premium tax credits to expire at the end of the year. According to reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this legislation puts health care access for millions of Americans—particularly Black women and rural families—in jeopardy.
Black American women already face the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income nations, a grim statistic that has persisted despite decades of medical advancements. Experts and advocates point to a patchwork system of health coverage, deep-rooted systemic biases, and the alarming fact that less than half of rural hospitals in the U.S.—just 42%—still offer labor and delivery services. Jemea Dorsey, president and CEO of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness in Atlanta, underscored the urgency, stating the organization’s mission is to "improve the health of underserved Black women and their families."
For uninsured women, the consequences of these policy changes are especially dire. As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, they are less likely to obtain the care they need, often traveling disproportionate distances to reach hospitals. This challenge is particularly acute for Black women in the rural South, who are forced to navigate a dwindling network of maternity care as hospital closures mount. The new budget’s Medicaid cuts and loss of coverage could cause significant damage to health outcomes, with an estimated $11.8 billion in Medicaid funding at risk.
Affordable health care, advocates argue, is not just a matter of convenience—it’s a matter of life and death. In Georgia, for example, 52% of Black women rely on Medicaid for coverage during pregnancy. Without it, they are less likely to receive timely prenatal care, regular screenings, and necessary ultrasounds, all of which are critical for detecting complications early and preventing maternal deaths. The numbers are stark: maternal mortality is higher among Black women compared to their White counterparts, with complications often detected too late and recovery periods that are insufficiently short.
Postpartum policy in the U.S. is another flashpoint. Many maternal deaths occur after delivery, often before the six-week postpartum mark. Yet, the standard paid leave period rarely extends beyond this window, leaving new mothers—especially those from marginalized communities—without adequate time to recover or access attentive care. Dorsey and other advocates argue that postpartum leave should often be extended beyond the so-called "normal" period to reduce preventable deaths and support long-term health.
While the U.S. wrestles with these challenges, Denmark offers a strikingly different model—one that, for all its ideological differences, delivers far better outcomes for mothers and infants. As reported by Live Action News, Denmark’s maternal mortality rate stands at just 4 per 100,000 live births, more than four times lower than the U.S. rate of 17 per 100,000 (as of 2023). The country’s infant mortality rate is also dramatically lower—3 per 1,000 births compared to 5.1 per 1,000 in the U.S.
What accounts for this stark disparity? Denmark prioritizes a midwifery model of care for low-risk pregnancies, treating pregnancy as a natural biological process that requires medical intervention only when necessary. This approach, which differs sharply from the U.S. medical model that often views pregnancy as inherently risky, leads to fewer C-sections—about 1 in 5 births in Denmark, compared to 1 in 3 in the U.S.—and, downstream, to lower maternal mortality rates.
Crucially, Denmark’s taxpayer-funded health care system ensures that all prenatal visits—including ultrasounds, blood draws, and imaging—as well as labor, birth care, and postpartum checkups are free at the point of use. While the merits and drawbacks of socialized medicine are hotly debated, the Danish model removes financial barriers that routinely keep American women from accessing essential care. In the U.S., the average cost of an uncomplicated vaginal birth in 2020 exceeded $13,000 before insurance, a figure that often excludes the cost of ultrasounds and other necessary services.
Parental leave in Denmark is another area where the U.S. lags behind. Danish parents are eligible for a total of one year of combined leave: mothers can begin leave four weeks before the due date and are guaranteed 14 weeks after birth, while fathers receive two weeks of leave immediately following the birth. The couple can split an additional 32 weeks of leave as they see fit, with longer leave available for multiple children or adoption. While not all of this time is paid, and payment depends on the employment sector, the contrast with the U.S. is stark: under the Family and Medical Leave Act, American parents are granted only unpaid leave—and for far fewer weeks.
Perhaps most striking is Denmark’s approach to postpartum care. New mothers receive repeated home visits from trained nurses, who assess both infant and maternal health, troubleshoot breastfeeding concerns, and provide mental health support. In the U.S., by contrast, the standard is a single, perfunctory six-week postpartum checkup—despite the fact that the majority of maternal mortality cases occur before this mark. Denmark also assigns new mothers to support groups with other local women, fostering social connection that, research suggests, helps drive down both maternal and infant mortality.
Of course, the U.S. is a far more diverse and less homogenous society than Denmark, and this diversity has profound implications for health outcomes. As noted by Live Action News, Black American mothers and babies are far more likely than their White or Asian American counterparts to die in the first year postpartum. This reality makes the implementation of proven policies—such as expanding access to midwifery care, doulas, paid parental leave, and earlier, more frequent postpartum checkups—all the more urgent.
Advocates on both sides of the political spectrum are grappling with the implications of the new budget. Some argue that fiscal responsibility and a more streamlined health system are long overdue; others warn that the cuts will deepen existing inequities and cost lives, particularly among the nation’s most vulnerable women and children. What’s clear is that the debate is far from academic: it’s a matter of who gets to survive childbirth and who does not.
As the U.S. faces the fallout from the "Big Beautiful Bill," the stories of Black mothers in Georgia, new parents in rural hospitals, and families struggling with the high costs of care will continue to shape the national conversation. Whether policymakers will heed the lessons of Denmark—or double down on a fractured system—remains to be seen. But for millions of American women and their families, the stakes have never been higher.
