Broken Promises & Baby Bonuses: The Crisis of Women’s Health in America

Imagine standing at a podium and telling American women, “We want you to have more babies,” while simultaneously slashing funding for maternal healthcare, childcare programs, and family planning services. That’s not just contradictory. It’s an ideological U-turn performed at full speed on a cliff’s edge. And it’s absolutely ludicrous.

The Trump administration’s recent policy maneuvers — a chaotic cocktail of defunding key health initiatives, then walking some of it back under public pressure, all while dangling a $5,000 “baby bonus” — offer a textbook case in cognitive dissonance. The mixed signals from the federal government to women, particularly working women, are not just confusing, they’re damaging. This administration’s actions are beyond infuriating for so many who are doing such important work. 

Cut First, Incentivize Later: The Healthcare Shell Game

Let’s start with the cuts.

In recent months, funding was stripped from some of the nation’s most important women’s health programs:

● The Women’s Health Initiative, The Women’s Health Initiative — a 30-year NIH study focused on postmenopausal health and involving over 160,000 women — was abruptly defunded this month. It’s hard to overstate how catastrophic that would have been. This study has shaped what we know about hormone therapy, aging, and chronic disease in women, and just like that, it was cast aside. We might not see research like this again in our lifetime. 

It was an outrageous decision — and the public knew it. 

The backlash was immediate and loud, with advocates, researchers, and everyday citizens rising up in defense. And guess what? It worked. Due to an outpouring of advocacy, the administration reversed course and reinstated funding. This is the power of collective action, but it also shows how fragile progress can be. We can’t get complacent. We have to stay loud, stay active, and keep showing up for women’s health → not just when it’s under threat, but every single day.

But WHI wasn’t the only target. Critical public health divisions were quietly dismantled behind the scenes...

● The CDC’s Reproductive Health and Fertility Surveillance teams were dismantled. We pride ourselves on being leaders of the free world, yet women still can’t access basic reproductive choice.

● Title X funds for family planning, affecting nearly 846,000 low-income women, were frozen in 23 states. Taking away choice and family planning does nothing for low-income women, removing their ability to decide when they want to have children - more so, when they can afford them - ultimately increases the burden to our society. We pay for it, not the government.

● The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which focused on early childhood outcomes, was wiped out in a wave of HHS layoffs. The support seems to stop the moment care is actually needed. 

This is not about budget trimming. It’s an ideological purge.

Now Let’s Talk Baby Bonuses… And Medals?

Enter the “solutions”: a proposed $5,000 tax credit for new mothers and a “National Medal of Motherhood” for women who have six or more children.

“We’ll take that, but we’ll give you this.” They think they are some sort of hero - sliding in with a $5K tax credit?!  On the surface, these may look like support mechanisms. But they are a glittering facade over a hollow core. These “incentives”:

❍ Don’t cover the cost of childbirth, which can easily exceed $18,000 with insurance.

❍ Don’t include structural reform around childcare, paid leave, or postnatal care.

❍ And don’t acknowledge the barriers faced by single parents, especially those in marginalized communities.

Worse yet, awarding medals for prolific motherhood echoes policies seen in authoritarian regimes… not democracies built on individual rights and personal choice. But here’s the real kicker: while symbolic incentives like tax credits and medals are being touted as solutions, the actual infrastructure women rely on to have and raise children is crumbling. Behind the headlines and handouts lies a brutal economic reality, women’s health simply isn’t valued the same way. The procedures, care, and support systems essential to motherhood are underfunded and undercompensated, and the financial gap is literally shutting maternity wards down across the country.

The Financial Disparity in Women's Health Care

Women's health procedures, particularly those related to maternity care, often receive lower reimbursement rates compared to equivalent male-specific procedures. For instance, procedures on male patients have been found to have higher Relative Value Units (RVUs) and facility reimbursements than comparable procedures on female patients.

This financial imbalance contributes to the closure of maternity wards across the United States. Since 2011, over 217 maternity units have shut down, disproportionately affecting rural and low-income communities. Factors such as low Medicaid reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, and the high costs associated with maintaining obstetric services make these units financially unsustainable for many hospitals.

The closure of these units not only limits access to essential maternity care but also exacerbates existing health disparities, particularly among Black and Hispanic populations.

This isn’t just a hospital problem… it’s a workforce issue too. These policies have real consequences for women trying to build careers and families at the same time.

The Workforce Disconnect

Women now make up nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce, many of them leading high-growth sectors like fintech, healthcare tech, and enterprise innovation. But instead of investing in policies that allow them to pursue both career and family, the administration has:

▸ Undermined access to birth control and comprehensive family planning.

▸ Cut childcare subsidies and paid family leave initiatives.

▸ Offered no pathway to long-term wellness for working mothers.

In other words, “have more babies… but you’re on your own.”

The Cost of Hypocrisy

There’s no national prosperity without healthy, empowered women. Full stop.

Reproductive autonomy, healthcare access, and economic opportunity are not optional luxuries. They are the cornerstones of a modern, sustainable society. You don’t inspire birth rates by issuing medals; you do it by making it possible for women to raise families without sacrificing their futures.

This administration’s approach is not just “bassackwards,”  it’s an insult to intelligence, a danger to health equity, and a threat to economic stability. A Movement Is Building — And It’s Not Backing Down

While the federal government turns its back on women’s wellness, companies across the country are stepping up. From startups to enterprise giants, brilliant leaders are rallying in solidarity, pouring resources into programs that prioritize women's health, equity, and empowerment. They're not waiting for permission… they’re creating the change.

These leaders are investing in maternal health benefits, supporting nonprofit partnerships, and advocating for legislative reforms. They're going all in to counter the damage being done.

Why? Because more and more people see it clearly: women's wellness isn't optional. It's essential. The current administration continues to reveal its disregard for women, stripping away healthcare, research, and reproductive rights with an authoritarian playbook. They’ve shown us who they are, now it's our turn to show who we are.

This won’t change until:

● Funding is restored.

● Leaders grow a backbone.

● The public rises up and refuses to be silent.

The Call to Action

Executives, leaders, and policymakers must speak out. We need:

◉ Restored and expanded funding for women’s health research and maternal care.

◉ Subsidized childcare and universal paid family leave.

◉ Accessible, science-based reproductive healthcare without ideological strings attached.

◉ Real investment in the economic participation of women…not patronizing awards or one-time checks.

◉ We need more action. We need louder voices.  📞 Call your legislators. 📢 Demand accountability. 💪🏽 Fight for equity. ✊🏼 Stand up for women’s rights.

It’s time to stop treating women’s health and family planning like a side gig and start treating it like the foundation of a thriving nation.

Because if we don’t fight for each other — who will?

Brenda Armstrong is the host of RedefineHER, a podcast uncovering transformative stories in women’s health and wellness. She’s also the founder of ITEOM, a talent consultancy that helps healthtech companies hire values-aligned professionals at the intersection of technology and purpose. To learn more about how ITEOM supports founders from early discovery to Series C scale and sustained growth, visit ITEOMTALENT.COM or connect with Brenda directly.

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Sources for your reference: 1. Cuts to Women's Health Programs

The Trump administration has significantly reduced funding for women's health initiatives, including the Women's Health Initiative, a landmark study on women's health. ​AJMC

2. Job Losses in Maternal and Reproductive Health

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to cut 20,000 positions, nearly a quarter of its workforce, affecting public health agencies and programs. ​PBS: Public Broadcasting Service

3. Impact of Childcare Costs on Women's Workforce Participation

High childcare costs are driving educated women out of the workforce, with some paying up to 25% of their income on childcare expenses. ​Fortune+5Tootris+5Reddit+5

4. Access to Reproductive Health Services

The administration's policies have led to the closure of clinics and reduced access to reproductive health services for low-income women. ​Politico

5. Proposed $5,000 "Baby Bonus" and Other Pronatalist Policies

The administration is considering pronatalist policies, including a $5,000 "baby bonus" and a National Medal of Motherhood, while simultaneously cutting women's health programs. ​Vanity Fair

6. Women’s Healthcare Reimbursement Inequities and Maternal Ward Closures 

•  Journal of Women's Health (Liebert Publishing): Reimbursement Disparities 

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Closures & Disparities - Maternity ward closures are exacerbating maternal health disparities, particularly among Black and Hispanic populations.

• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): Report on Obstetric Unit Closures - A comprehensive federal report detailing how declining reimbursement rates and rising costs have made obstetric units financially unsustainable for hospitals, especially in rural areas.

• Axios: Hospital Closures Disproportionately Affect Women- Axios – Insight into how maternity unit closures are disproportionately affecting women and families in underserved communities across the U.S.

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