CDC allocates $134 million to fund state maternal mortality review committees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will provide about $134 million over the five-year funding cycle from 2024 through 2029 to 52 states and territories for Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). GAO's December 2025 review notes that more than 600 women die each year in the United States during pregnancy or from causes aggravated by pregnancy, and that over 80 percent of those deaths are preventable.

GAO found that all ten MMRCs examined consider federal and state laws and policies when identifying factors that contribute to maternal deaths. Representatives from five of the committees said their states changed Medicaid coverage to extend postpartum benefits to 12 months as a direct result of MMRC recommendations, a change that could address chronic conditions such as severe hypertension.

The committees commonly issued recommendations in five areas. Nine of the ten MMRCs advised on mental health and substance-use issues, calling for expanded screening, referral pathways and funding for treatment. The same number made recommendations to improve health equity, including ensuring American Indian/Alaska Native representation in maternity-care planning, in response to racial disparities where Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women die at rates 2.5 times higher than White women.

CDC monitors the funded MMRCs through regular meetings, required reports and site visits, and has incorporated key performance-management practices identified in prior GAO work. The agency set a goal of eliminating preventable deaths and tracks the number of MMRC recommendations that are implemented.

GAO's study was requested to assess whether MMRCs consider laws and policies, the nature of their recommendations, and CDC's oversight of the committees. The findings provide a baseline for evaluating the impact of the new funding and oversight framework on maternal-mortality outcomes.