Just ask this Tennessee woman, who last week told the world that her doctor cut her off from prenatal care because she wasn’t married. This new attempt at censorship occurred just weeks after the state rolled out its new Medical Ethics Defense Act. This act protects healthcare providers’ right to deny care whenever it violates their religious or moral convictions. Because of this denial, the woman was forced to go across state lines to get the critical pregnancy care she needed.
The case highlights particularly dire realities of maternal healthcare in Tennessee. This very state has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the entire United States. This implementation nightmare has raised some big questions, particularly about the law recently passed. What could its likely impact be on vulnerable populations who need to get medical care?
Medical Ethics Defense Act and Its Implications
Shockingly, the Medical Ethics Defense Act went into effect only weeks before this incident. It has sparked huge controversy among the medical community and health advocates. The law provides protections for medical practitioners to decline to provide services that they have a conscientious objection to providing. Opponents of these types of legislation contend that they unfairly impact women and other marginalized populations by restricting their access to care that they need.
In this example, the woman’s ordeal is a story of the negative impact of this law playing out in real-time. Rather than being able to receive prenatal care in her home state, she had to go outside of it. Most importantly, this experience brought to light the added risk of delayed or denied prenatal care. Experts are raising the alarm about how going without maternal healthcare can result in life-threatening circumstances for mothers and babies.
Maternal Mortality Rates in Tennessee
Tennessee’s climbing maternal mortality rate this year turned into a rallying cry for healthcare advocates. At 10.62 per 100,000, the state’s rate is shockingly similar to that of Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. This statistic begs immediate and pressing questions around the maternal healthcare women in Tennessee have access to.
Advocates say a perfect storm of conditions are stoking this scary fire. Economic disparities and inequities, lack of access to comprehensive health care services and care, as well as legislative barriers are all factors. The recent case of the woman denied prenatal care further emphasizes the need for systemic changes to improve maternal health outcomes in the state.
As we emerge from the pandemic, state officials must acknowledge the challenges pregnant women are dealing with. They haven’t put forward any specific solutions to address these problems. The public is becoming more aware at an accelerating pace. Legislators and other healthcare providers need to seriously consider the ramifications of their actions on women’s health.
The Broader Context of Healthcare Access
This denial of prenatal care due to non-marital status pregnancy is emblematic of a larger pattern of discriminatory healthcare access throughout the US. Many states have enacted laws that allow medical practitioners to refuse care due to personal beliefs, often leading to significant gaps in service availability for those affected.
This reality isn’t limited to the state of Tennessee. Similar fights are going on in most parts of the country, adding to the complex picture of maternal healthcare. States are confronting difficult ethical dilemmas in healthcare. Advocates underscore the importance of putting patient needs ahead of provider beliefs to ensure all patients have equitable access to medical care.
