Sponsors (15)
The bill substantially expands and standardizes maternity-related enrollment, coverage, and postpartum protections—improving access and continuity for pregnant people and infants—while shifting real costs and implementation burdens onto insurers, employers, states, and taxpayers and creating practical and timing challenges during rollout.
Low-income pregnant people and new mothers (Medicaid/CHIP enrollees) will get continuous eligibility and uninterrupted coverage through pregnancy and 12 months postpartum, reducing churn and improving access to postpartum care.
People who become pregnant (including dependents of any age on family plans) will have guaranteed coverage for pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, and labor and delivery beginning plan years Jan 1, 2027, reducing out-of-pocket costs for maternity care.
Pregnant people will be able to enroll in health plans when pregnancy is reported (a pregnancy-triggered special enrollment), allowing earlier access to prenatal care and coverage for maternity services.
Many Americans (enrollees, employers, and taxpayers) could face higher premiums or taxes as insurers and employers absorb higher claims and compliance costs from expanded pregnancy-related enrollments and mandated benefits.
States and taxpayers may face meaningful increases in Medicaid/CHIP spending and budget pressure because higher eligibility and mandatory postpartum coverage raise program costs absent additional federal funding.
Plans, Exchanges, and FEHB contractors will incur administrative, IT, and compliance costs to implement new SEPs, eligibility rules, and contract changes, raising overhead and transition burdens.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates pregnancy special enrollment periods, requires maternity coverage for dependents, makes 12‑month postpartum Medicaid/CHIP permanent, and preserves states' Medicaid pregnancy eligibility percentages.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Angela Deneece Alsobrooks · Last progress November 20, 2025
Creates a pregnancy-specific enrollment pathway and requires health plans that cover dependents to include maternity care for all enrollees, including dependents of any age. It also makes 12-month continuous Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage mandatory and locks in state Medicaid income-eligibility percentages for pregnant individuals at levels the state had specified as of January 1, 2025. Adds matching rule changes across federal insurance laws so pregnant people can enroll mid-year when pregnancy is reported or confirmed, directs OPM to treat pregnancy as a qualifying life event for Federal Employees Health Benefits enrollment, and preserves stronger state laws that already provide equal or greater protections.