A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act aims to prevent cost-sharing requirements for specific maternal and newborn health care. It amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to include comprehensive prenatal, labor and delivery, neonatal, perinatal, and postpartum care as essential health benefits. This includes specific services such as ultrasounds, care for pregnancy loss, and various delivery services. The bill also extends coverage for postpartum care and behavioral health services for certain parents. Additionally, it prohibits group health plans and insurance issuers from imposing cost-sharing for these specific benefits.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +9
Would women be better off under this?
The bill provides significant financial and healthcare support for pregnancy and postpartum care.
- Scored +9
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill significantly improves access to maternal and newborn care by eliminating out-of-pocket costs.
- Scored +8
Would children be better off under this?
The bill improves neonatal and perinatal care through the elimination of cost-sharing.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Would business owners be better off under this?
May increase costs for group health plans due to new coverage requirements.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Elimination of Out-of-Pocket Costs: The bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements for prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, or postpartum health care (Section 3). This means individuals would not have to pay additional fees for these specific services.
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Comprehensive Prenatal and Delivery Coverage: The act requires benefits to include comprehensive care such as ultrasounds by a licensed provider and services relating to spontaneous pregnancy loss or miscarriage (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
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Expanded Postpartum Support: The bill defines postpartum as a 1-year period and includes coverage for non-preventive postpartum care, such as behavioral health services for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity that may be caused or worsened by pregnancy (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(v)).
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Support for Non-Birthing Parents: Legal parents of a new child who do not physically give birth are provided with behavioral health services relating to new parenthood for a 1-year period (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(vi)).
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Inclusive Delivery Services: Coverage includes specific delivery services such as anesthesiology, fetal monitoring, and consultations with specialists (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(iii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill provides significant financial and healthcare support for pregnancy and postpartum care. Would children be better off under this? — The bill improves neonatal and perinatal care through the elimination of cost-sharing. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Eliminating cost-sharing provides significant financial relief to low-income families. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Reduces out-of-pocket expenses for maternity and newborn care. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides financial relief for those entering parenthood. Would men be better off under this? — Provides coverage for non-birthing legal parents' behavioral health. Would business owners be better off under this? — May increase costs for group health plans due to new coverage requirements.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill significantly improves access to maternal and newborn care by eliminating out-of-pocket costs. Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act? — The bill amends the ACA to include comprehensive maternity and newborn care as essential health benefits. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill expands access to postpartum and new parenthood behavioral health services.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill improves consumer protection by prohibiting cost-sharing for essential maternity and newborn healthcare services.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill supports gender equality by addressing specific maternal and postpartum healthcare needs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal mandates regarding health insurance benefits.
- 5/21/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Josh HawleyRepublican · Missouri
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia