House subcommittee passes maternal health bills

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today approved two bipartisan bills to strengthen maternal care and access to care, including in rural areas.
 
The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act (H.R. 4995) would authorize grants to implement rural obstetric networks, maternal telehealth programs and a rural maternal care training demonstration. It also contains maternal health provisions from the Lower Health Care Costs Act (S.1895), including funding to promote best practices, educate health care professionals on implicit bias, implement state perinatal quality collaboratives, and deliver integrated health care services to pregnant and postpartum women.
 
The Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act (H.R. 4996) would give states the option to extend Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage for pregnant and postpartum women from the current 60 days to one year after birth, with a 5% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for the first year a state opts to extend the coverage. It also would require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to issue a report on access to doula care in Medicaid.
 
AHA has expressed support for provisions included in the bills.