U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock visited Gainesville Tuesday where he spoke with WDUN's Martha Zoller about his desire to see improvements to U.S. maternal health research efforts along with improved access to insulin for those who need it.
Warnock said his Tuesday visit to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville came after a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the Mass General Brigham health system found that between 1999 and 2019, Georgia was among the five worst states for increasing maternal mortality among white, Hispanic, Black and Asian-Pacific Islander women. The study also found the death rates for all those groups more than doubled over the 20 years.
"There are entirely too many women dying, just trying to bring a child into the world," Warnock said. "And Georgia is near the top of the list."
Warnock said he has introduced a bill with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) called the Kira Johnson Act, to combat maternal deaths.
"[Kira Johnson] was a well-traveled, well-educated woman, who had a very vibrant life, very healthy, and 12 hours after she gave birth to her son, she died in a hospital begging for care," Warnock said. "And what we've seen is that there is clearly implicit bias ... Black women are three to four times more likely to die than their white sisters, even when they have insurance. It's not just a class issue - even when they have income."
Warnock said the legislation supports grassroots organizations that are responding to maternal mortality problems, while also investing in research and bias training.
Additionally, Warnock told Zoller another issue he is focusing on is the accessibility of insulin for those who need it.
"Last summer we passed my bill which capped the cost of insulin for folks who are on Medicare," Warnock said. "I'm trying to get that done for everybody."
Warnock specifically wants to see a $35 insulin cap for everyone.
"There's no reason for insulin to be expensive," Warnock said. "It's expensive because too often in Washington, DC, it's the moneyed interest, it's people who are well connected and well-financed who get their way. And what we saw on this insulin fight is that as I and others began engaging on this issue in the public sector, it did also impact the private sector. We are starting to see insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, cap the cost of their insulin."
Listen to Martha Zoller's full interview with Warnock at the above Soundcloud player.
