New Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Poll Finds Broad Bipartisan Consensus: Americans Want More Action for Moms and Babies
New York City, July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America today released new national polling with a striking finding: Americans overwhelmingly agree maternal health must improve, and they agree on how to fix it. The survey, conducted by KAConsulting, LLC, surveyed 1,001 registered voters nationwide from July 12–16, 2026, cutting across party, region, and age.
The findings reveal that maternal health is one of the rare issues that transcends politics. Of the 15 policy proposals tested, 13 drew support from at least 80% of voters. All 15 drew at least 72%, and 79% said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported them.
That consensus deepens as voters learn more. Before hearing any new information about maternal health in America, 77% said it needs to be improved. After hearing a series of factual statements, that number jumped to 86%, and the share saying it needs improvement “a great deal” rose from 43% to 59%.
“In three decades of polling, I have rarely seen numbers like these. Support above 80% on nearly every proposal tested, holding across party, region, and age, is close to unheard of in American politics right now. What is most striking is what happens when voters learn the facts — support widens and deepens. Maternal health reform can be the next piece of the bold, transformative, pro-family policies enacted by President Trump and this Congress. Healthy moms and healthy babies are not partisan issues. They are under-informed ones.”
— Kellyanne Conway, KAConsulting
“Voters are ahead of Washington on maternal health. They are not divided about whether moms in this country deserve better care — they are waiting for someone to act. Eight in ten back nearly every policy proposal we tested, and eight in ten say they would reward a candidate who took it up. Senators are heading home soon for five weeks to states where those numbers hold. We urge the full Senate to vote on both the NIH Improve Act and the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act once they’re back in DC.”
— Robin Reck, Executive Director, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America
“America should be the safest place in the world to have a baby, and right now it is not. What this research shows is that Americans agree — across every line that usually divides us. The challenge is not about a shortage of solutions, and it is not a shortage of public will. It is the urgency to act on both.”
— Olivia Walton, Founder, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America
Americans Say the U.S. Must Do Better
More than three in four Americans (77%) believe maternal health in the United States needs improvement. After learning more about the current state of maternal mortality and maternal health outcomes, that number increased to 86%, demonstrating that awareness drives even stronger support for action.
The survey also found that maternal health challenges touch families across the country:
- 61% are concerned about the ability to have a healthy pregnancy.
- 60% are concerned about access to prenatal care.
- 58% are concerned about receiving care after childbirth.
- More than one in four (28%) know someone who has experienced complications during childbirth, and one in five know someone who has been unable to afford prenatal care.
Americans Support Action—Not Politics
The research found overwhelming support for policies designed to improve maternal health outcomes.
Among the strongest findings:
- 88% support expanding specialty care and telehealth for women with high-risk pregnancies in rural and underserved communities.
- 87% support taking a whole-health approach to pregnancy, including maternal mental health, nutrition, and chronic disease care.
- 86% support investing in training more maternal healthcare professionals.
- 85% support postpartum home visits or virtual check-ins shortly after childbirth.
- 83% support expanding insurance coverage and telehealth throughout the first year after delivery.
Facts Matter
- Respondents became significantly more supportive of maternal health reforms after learning key facts about maternal health in America.
- Among the most persuasive findings:
- 79% were more likely to support reforms after learning that 84% of maternal deaths are preventable.
- 76% were more likely to support reforms after learning that one in five women experiences postpartum anxiety, depression, or birth-related PTSD.
- 75% were more likely to support reforms after learning rural communities face maternal mortality rates twice those of urban areas.
- 72% were more likely to support reforms after learning maternal mortality and morbidity cost the U.S. economy $165 billion in 2020, nearly 1% of GDP.
Additional findings
A majority (55%) hold an unfavorable view of the U.S. health care system, and 51% view it unfavorably specifically on the care of women. Asked to name the top two priorities for policymakers, voters chose preventing maternal deaths (32%) and providing early care and intervention during pregnancy (22%).
Methodology: KAConsulting, LLC conducted a mixed-mode nationwide survey of 1,001 registered voters July 12–16, 2026. Margin of error ±3.0%. Full toplines available at hmhba.org
About Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA): HMHBA is a bipartisan national campaign working to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate in half in five years by uniting leaders, employers, health care providers, and families around proven solutions that improve outcomes for moms, babies, and families.
Leila Roberts 4157132009 leila.roberts@ingeborg.com
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