Prince George’s County and state officials are hoping a new state program will reduce infant mortality and low birth weights by extending free health benefits to nearly 35,000 low-income women.

The Family Planning Works Act, whose lead sponsors included Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring and Del. James Hubbard (D-Dist. 23A) of Bowie, allows women with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level — which is about $22,000 per year for a single woman — to receive free family planning services such as pelvic exams, pregnancy testing, contraception and cancer screenings.

The act, passed this year, is an expansion of the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, or Medicaid.

Low birth weights are often the result of women carrying unplanned pregnancies to term without recommended care, Mizeur said. The law aims to change that, she said.

Mizeur and Hubbard were joined Wednesday by officials, including Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) and acting health officer Pamela Creekmur, at the Greenbelt location of the nonprofit Community Clinic to promote the program and encourage eligible women to sign up for the services, which will become available Jan. 1.

The program offers services at more than 60 clinics across the state.

"We're going to be able to offer insurance to more women [in the county]," Creekmur said.

To assist the health care expansion, the county health department plans to provide an additional staff member to the Greenbelt clinic to work two days per week to determine if new patients are eligible for the program, allowing them to expand enrollment, Creekmur said.

There are about 10.4 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births in the county, and about 10 percent of babies born have low birth weights, according to data from the county health department. The national average for low birth weights stands at about 8 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Low birth weight can cause greater risk of infant death, and survivors have an increased chance of developing diabetes and heart disease.

The expanded program is expected to generate between $20 million and $40 million in savings to the state budget by reducing the overall number of births paid for by Medicaid, which usually costs about $20,000 per person, Mizeur said.

The expansion required about $1.2 million in state funds for the current fiscal year.

"This bill is about empowering women to have healthy babies," Mizeur said, adding that increased family planning would reduce the number of abortions in the state. "This is a win-win-win, any way you look at it."

Women interested in signing up for the program can visit www.dhmh.maryland.gov or call 1-855-692-4993.

dleaderman@gazette.net