MOMMIES Act

Key Points

• The bill would guarantee pregnant and postpartum people on Medicaid and CHIP keep coverage for a full year after birth instead of just 60 days, ending a major coverage cliff for new mothers.
• During that year, mothers would get the same full range of benefits as any other Medicaid enrollee, not a limited pregnancy-only package, removing gaps in care after childbirth.
• States would be required to cover dental care for pregnant and postpartum patients, addressing a service that is often excluded from Medicaid even though oral health problems can affect pregnancy outcomes.
• The federal government would pay 100 percent of the extra costs states incur from these expanded benefits, so states would not need to raise their own funding to comply.
• A new grant program would fund 'maternity care homes' in at least 10 states, pairing mothers with doctors, midwives, doulas, and social workers who coordinate medical care and connect them to food, housing, and transportation support.
• Doctors and clinics providing primary care and maternity services to Medicaid patients would see their payment rates raised to match Medicare's higher rates, aiming to encourage more providers to accept Medicaid patients.