Think Big America Founder Signs Landmark Birth Equity Initiative

In case you missed it, Think Big America founder Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a nation-leading initiative aimed at closing the racial gap in maternal care. The initiative is a twofold measure that will help close the existing racial maternal mortality gap in the state by expanding coverage for maternal services like doulas and midwives while also further expanding private and Medicaid insurance coverage for abortion services.

“For too long, we have failed to live up to the promise of equal health care for Black and Brown mothers in the state,” said Think Big Founder Gov. JB Pritzker. “That is appalling and it’s unacceptable, and we’re not going to let that happen anymore in the state of Illinois. It isn’t right that some women are forced to weigh their own mortality or their future health against bringing life into this world.”

Hours after Iowa enacted a six-week abortion ban, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed into law a twofold measure that will further expand both private and Medicaid insurance coverage for abortion services and help close the Black maternal mortality gap by expanding coverage of doulas and midwives.

The Birth Equity Act will require Illinois-based health insurance to cover abortion care without co-pays and deductibles, including coverage of abortion medications. And it will cover services such as doulas, lactation consultants and midwives. The measure also included a $1 million diaper distribution program for low-income families.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Pritzker and the Democrat-led Illinois General Assembly have further expanded abortion rights in Illinois — seeking to create a safe haven for patients traveling from states that have banned abortions. Pritzker in October also launched Think Big America, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization aimed at protecting and expanding abortion rights in other states.

The initiative, led by the lieutenant governor, invests $15 million in closing the maternal mortality gap through expanding home visits, capital dollars for community-birth centers, a free diaper program and a child tax credit for low-income families. Another $10 million will go towards identifying gaps in funding programs that can reduce adverse maternal health outcomes.

Think Big America is a nonprofit organization launched by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Think Big America is focused on protecting and expanding reproductive rights, building on the progress that Gov. Pritzker’s administration and its allies have made in Illinois, and taking the fight to right-wing extremists all across the country.