Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act
Rep. Golden Leads Bipartisan Push to Make Pregnancy and Childbirth Free Under Insurance
Passage Likelihood
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill eliminates all out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy and birth-related care under private health insurance plans. Copays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing would be banned for prenatal checkups, ultrasounds, labor and delivery, and related services like anesthesiology and fetal monitoring.
- The bill defines 'postpartum' as one full year after pregnancy ends, during which insurance must cover care for conditions caused or worsened by pregnancy, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, at no cost to the patient.
From policy text
“postpartum care services that are not preventive, including behavioral health services, for conditions that may have been exacerbated by pregnancy or conditions as a result of pregnancy, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity”
View in full text - Mental health services for new parents are included as a covered benefit. Both the person who gave birth and any legal parent who did not physically give birth are entitled to behavioral health services for one year after the child is born.
From policy text
“for legal parents of a new child who do not physically give birth to the child, behavioral health services relating to new parenthood for the 1-year period beginning on the day of the birth of the child.”
View in full text - Coverage for miscarriage and pregnancy loss is explicitly required. The bill mandates that insurance plans cover services related to spontaneous pregnancy loss without cost-sharing.
From policy text
“services caring for the individual relating to spontaneous pregnancy loss or spontaneous miscarriage”
View in full text - The bill applies broadly across employer-sponsored plans, individual market plans, and self-insured employer plans by amending the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and the Internal Revenue Code. It takes effect for plan years starting on or after the date the bill is signed into law.
From policy text
“The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to plan years beginning on or after the date of enactment of this Act.”
View in full text
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Related News
2 articles
Gillibrand legislation would make health insurers cover all childbirth costs
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act, which would categorize all prenatal and postpartum expenses as essential health benefits. The bill requires private insurers to fully cover childbirth services, including fetal monitoring and mental health support.
March for Life rallies thousands against abortion as political cracks emerge
During the 2026 March for Life, advocates highlighted the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act as a key bipartisan initiative. The proposed law would eliminate cost-sharing for prenatal care, labor, delivery, and postpartum care to reduce financial barriers for new families.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(20)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.