# Maternal Health for Veterans Act

This bill expands healthcare services for women veterans who are pregnant or have recently given birth. Right now, the VA (Veterans Affairs) provides some maternity care, but this legislation aims to make those services more comprehensive and accessible to veterans who need them.

Specifically, the bill works to ensure that pregnant veterans and those in the postpartum period—typically the year after delivery—can get the full range of maternity and newborn care through the VA system. This includes prenatal care (checkups during pregnancy), delivery services, and postpartum care for both the mother and newborn baby. The goal is to reduce gaps in coverage so women veterans don't have to piece together care from multiple providers or pay out of pocket for services they need.

The practical impact is that women veterans would have a clearer pathway to receive maternity care without having to navigate complicated referrals to outside hospitals or clinics. This is particularly important for veterans in rural areas or those without easy access to civilian hospitals. By centralizing maternal healthcare through the VA, the bill aims to improve outcomes for pregnant veterans and their newborns while making the system more straightforward for the women who've served their country and now need these essential services.

Maternal Health for Veterans Act

Duckworth, Tammy

Maternal Health for Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report annually through FY2028 on its activities relating to the coordination of maternity health care. The reports must also include (1) data on the maternal health outcomes of veterans who receive medical care or services from the VA or a non-VA provider that is authorized to provide care or services under VA programs, and (2) VA recommendations to improve the maternal health outcomes of veterans. The reports must be made publicly available. The bill also authorizes funding through FY2028 for VA programs relating to the coordination of maternity health care.