# Plain Language Summary: Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025

This bill focuses on making sure new mothers have access to pelvic health care after giving birth, particularly through Medicaid. After pregnancy and childbirth, many women experience pelvic floor problems like urinary incontinence, bowel issues, or pain, but these services aren't always covered or easy to find. The bill directs the federal government to help states understand how to cover two specific services: pelvic floor examinations (where a healthcare provider checks the strength and function of the pelvic floor muscles) and pelvic health physical therapy (specialized physical therapy to treat pelvic floor problems).

The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create guidance for states within one year, explaining best practices for covering these services and offering different payment options states can use. It also asks for help identifying women who need these services and suggests using standardized medical codes so doctors can properly diagnose pelvic floor problems. Additionally, the government will study gaps in coverage to see where postpartum women are falling through the cracks with their Medicaid benefits.

The bill also launches a public education campaign through the CDC to teach both healthcare providers and new mothers about pelvic floor health. Healthcare professionals will receive training on how to perform pelvic floor examinations and recommend physical therapy, while new mothers will learn why these services matter, how to get them, and how to ask their doctors for referrals. The campaign gets $2 million per year for five years to spread this information.

Overall, this bill aims to reduce the stigma around postpartum pelvic health issues and make these treatments more accessible and affordable for women covered by Medicaid, particularly during the first six months after giving birth or while breastfeeding.

Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025

Bacon, Don

Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025This bill requires (1) the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to issue guidance to support coverage of prenatal and postpartum pelvic health services under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), (2) the Government Accountability Office to study gaps in Medicaid coverage of these and other services for postpartum women, and (3) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to educate health professionals and postpartum women on pelvic health services.