The Healthy Moms and Babies Act is a comprehensive bill designed to improve maternal health care for pregnant and postpartum women covered by Medicaid and CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program). The bill tackles several key areas to make pregnancy and postpartum care safer and more accessible.

One major focus is reducing unnecessary cesarean sections. States would be required to track and report their rates of cesarean deliveries for low-risk pregnancies and implement quality improvement programs to safely reduce these rates, with special attention to racial and ethnic health disparities. The bill also requires hospitals participating in Medicare to report their cesarean section rates so the government can monitor this data nationally.

The bill expands support services for pregnant women by allowing states to create "maternity health homes" where pregnant and postpartum women can receive coordinated care from a team of health professionals. It also promotes the use of doulas and community health workers—people who provide emotional and practical support during pregnancy and birth—by studying how to increase access to these services under Medicaid. Additionally, the bill encourages telehealth demonstrations to help pregnant women access care remotely, particularly in areas where in-person services may be limited.

The legislation also addresses the broader factors affecting maternal health, such as housing, food security, and transportation. States would receive guidance on how to use Medicaid to address these social determinants of health for pregnant and postpartum women. Finally, the bill requires workforce training initiatives and studies on payment methods to ensure that maternal care providers have the skills and resources needed to deliver high-quality care and reduce maternal mortality and severe complications.

Healthy Moms and Babies Act

Grassley, Chuck

Healthy Moms and Babies Act This bill establishes programs and requirements to support maternal health services under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For example, the bill allows state Medicaid programs to cover services that are provided by maternity health homes (designated providers or health teams that provide pregnancy and postpartum coordinated care services). It also establishes a demonstration program to expand telehealth services for pregnant and postpartum women under Medicaid. The bill also establishes an advisory group on birthing practices for health care professionals, requires a study on Medicaid coverage of doula services, and establishes other requirements relating to the maternal health care workforce. It also requires the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to develop guidance on ways to address social determinants of health for pregnant and postpartum women and to reduce maternal mortality for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries.