Executive Council Approves Two Federally Funded Contracts for Maternal Health Care
PITTSBURG (July 30th, 2025) – This morning, after the tireless efforts of moms and advocates across New Hampshire, the Executive Council approved agenda items #33 and #33A, two federally funded contracts submitted by the New Hampshire Department of Insurance to expand access to and improve regulatory oversight of women’s and maternal health care. In May, the Council rejected agenda item #33A, a contract to study access to women’s health services, with a particular focus on postpartum care. The three men on the Council - Councilor Joseph Kenney, Councilor John Stephen, and Councilor David Wheeler - all fathers, rejected this contract, while the two women on the council - Councilor Karen Liot Hill and Councilor Janet Stevens - both mothers, voted for it.
“We are deeply grateful to the Executive Council for finally doing the right thing for Granite State moms and accepting this federal funding,” said Christina Warriner, New Hampshire State Director of Reproductive Equity Now. “New Hampshire moms need our support now more than ever. Recent reporting reveals that mental health challenges are on the rise for moms and are a leading cause of maternal mortality in the Granite State. This funding will empower New Hampshire to take better care of our moms and families by studying gaps in the maternal health care landscape and identifying how the state can improve access to care. With these investments and increased access to maternal health care, we can work to ensure that moms — and families — in our state will have the ability to thrive.”
In May, when agenda item #33 was rejected by the Executive Council, Warriner co-authored an op-ed in the Union Leader with MacKenzie Nicholson of MomsRising, urging the three Executive Councilors who voted against this funding to reconsider their vote.
New Hampshire moms continue to face large gaps in maternal health and wellness. Behavioral health, including substance overdoses, is the leading cause of maternal mortality in New Hampshire. In the past two decades, 11 maternity wards have closed across the state.
Reproductive Equity Now has championed efforts to expand access to maternal health care as part of our 2025 New Hampshire legislative agenda, and fought alongside a coalition of maternal health care advocates to pass Momnibus 2.0, a landmark legislative package that will increase access to postpartum health care.
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