Black maternal mortality in Wisconsin
22.90
per 100,000 live births
Black women in Wisconsin die from pregnancy-related causes at 22.9 per 100,000 live births — 1.2× the US national rate of 19.
US national average: 19 per 100,000 live births
Historical trend
What this means for Black residents
That figure tracks roughly the US national average of 19.0 per 100,000 live births, though the underlying trend and drivers are state-specific.
Maternal mortality is the single most widely studied Black-white health disparity in the United States. In Wisconsin, the gap reflects a combination of provider workforce distribution (obstetric hospitals closing in rural and Black-majority counties), insurance churn (Medicaid eligibility that ends post-delivery in non-extension states), and chronic undertreatment of pain and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. National evidence from the CDC MMRC Data System and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative shows that implicit-bias training, standardized hemorrhage and preeclampsia protocols, and Medicaid-covered doula support each measurably reduce preventable deaths. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia — consistently the three highest-rate states — have each piloted at least two of these interventions, but uptake is uneven.
The figures on this page are drawn from CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.
Policy actions
Wisconsin has not adopted Medicaid expansion. Low-income Black women without dependent children typically have no path to prenatal coverage through Medicaid unless they become pregnant; coverage begins mid-pregnancy, and prenatal starts late.12-month postpartum Medicaid extension is active, keeping coverage in place through the post-delivery period when more than half of maternal deaths occur.
Medicaid does not yet cover doula services in this state. Residents can contact their state Medicaid director and legislative health committee to advocate for a Section 1115 waiver or state plan amendment to add doula coverage — a growing number of states have done so since 2020.
Where to get help in your state
- Find a Black OB-GYN or certified nurse-midwife in Wisconsin: Black Health provider directory
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Wisconsin: browse sliding-scale clinics
- Postpartum Support International Helpline: Call or text 1-800-944-4773 (English/Spanish, 24/7)
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance resource hub: blackmamasmatter.org
References & primary sources
- Primary dataset: CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death
- Petersen EE et al. Vital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, US, 2011–2015 and Strategies for Prevention. MMWR. 2019. mmwr.mm6818e1
- Howell EA. Reducing Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018. PubMed ID: 29346121
Data refreshed: