State Rep. Camille Lilly gathered with health officials from several organizations Thursday at Rush Oak Park Hospital Thursday to be recognized at an Illinois Maternal Health and Prematurity Awareness Roundtable for championing a new bill that expands access to preeclampsia testing.

Preeclampsia is a complication in pregnancy that involves high blood sugar that threatens the health of mothers and babies.

Lilly sponsored House Bill 3706, which expands insurance coverage for preeclampsia biomarker testing for women with private insurance earlier this year. Medicaid coverage was included in an omnibus Medicaid package under Senate Bill 3365. The bills make Illinois the first state to mandate coverage for preeclampsia biomarker testing across Medicaid and private insurance without patient cost-sharing. The biomarker testing can help identify pregnancy risks earlier and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

“Having access to this particular program gives women with maternal wishes and desires dignity, gives them access and gives them what they need,” Lilly said. “It was my honor to carry the bill HB 3707 into Illinois.”

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and the roundtable brought together health advocates and leaders to discuss ways to reduce premature births and improve maternal health.

Kimberly McCullough-Starks, the president and CEO of Wellness West, a nonprofit collaborative network organization that connects health centers and social service organizations to improve health equity, said they’re starting an effort to let community members know about the services that the bill provides.

“[We’re] making sure that we can mitigate any barriers to access, including transportation to and from their doctors to make sure they’re getting their prenatal care that they need and just helping them navigate through childbirth during pregnancy and post delivery,” she said.

Kara Boeldt, founder and CEO of EndPreeclampsia, a preeclampsia advisory organization, shared her personal story as a survivor 21 years ago and what Lilly’s efforts mean to her and the organization.

“Our organization particularly is so proud of the state of Illinois and is so grateful to Lilly for championing this bill, thank you for all of the work you guys have done,” she said.

Black women are known to be negatively impacted more than other ethnicities and groups, with rates of preeclampsia reported to be 60% higher than the general population.

“We’re trying to rid that particular condition from women who are pregnant, particularly Black women who are significantly impacted, and they’re not surviving,” Lilly said.

Aimee Corso, the senior vice president of growth at Mirvie, a women’s health and biotech company, said to fix the problem, “we have to disentangle, frankly, the structural racism that exists in the system.”

One organizer advocated for more coordination and integration of clinical environments within community based organizations to improve health access and outcomes.

“When it comes to maternal and child health, having a hyperfocus in the community, at the community level, educating people about the challenges and the opportunities, I think is so critical,” she said.

chardy@chicagotribune.com