Sponsors (6)
Official title: Amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to improve Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program for low-income mothers.
Introduced June 24, 2026 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress June 24, 2026
The bill trades significantly expanded, better‑coordinated Medicaid maternity and postpartum coverage (including oral health, doulas, telehealth, and higher primary care payments) that can improve maternal outcomes and equity against increased federal/state costs, administrative burdens, and the risk of uneven access or service discontinuities across states.
Pregnant and postpartum Medicaid enrollees will keep continuous, full Medicaid coverage for 1 year after pregnancy (including required full-scope benefits and added oral health services), reducing insurance gaps during the high-risk postpartum period.
Pregnant and postpartum Medicaid/CHIP enrollees gain coordinated maternity care and expanded nonmedical supports (care coordinators, doulas, lactation support, transportation, housing referrals), improving maternal and infant outcomes and addressing social barriers to care.
Medicaid enrollees will have better access to primary care because payments for defined primary care services must be at least 100% of Medicare Part B rates, which should improve provider participation and timely care.
Millions of Medicaid enrollees and taxpayers face higher federal and/or state Medicaid spending from extended coverage, higher provider payment minimums, and grant-funded services, raising long-term fiscal concerns.
States, Medicaid managed-care organizations, and providers will face substantial administrative and implementation burdens (eligibility category changes, maintenance-of-effort compliance, contracting/documentation, reporting, training), diverting time and resources from care delivery.
Access to expanded services could be highly uneven: states not selected for demonstrations, states that decline longer postpartum coverage, or states that do not adopt guidance will leave many eligible people without new supports.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Extends Medicaid/CHIP postpartum continuous coverage from 60 days to 1 year, requires full benefits, funds a maternity care home demo, raises a primary-care payment floor, and studies doula and telehealth access.
Extends Medicaid and CHIP continuous postpartum coverage from 60 days to 1 year after the end of pregnancy (States may elect a longer period) and requires full-scope Medicaid benefits for those covered during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It also creates a 5-year Maternity Care Home demonstration, raises a Medicaid primary-care payment floor to Medicare rates for defined services, and directs studies and guidance on doula coverage and telehealth maternity care. The bill authorizes grants to at least 10 States (including one U.S. territory) to implement maternity care home models, requires MACPAC and the GAO to report on doula coverage and telehealth maternity care respectively, and directs CMS to issue guidance to States on expanding doula access. It authorizes funding for the demonstration and phases several implementation deadlines (e.g., demo launch within 1 year; reports within 12–18 months).