May 5, 2025
Ms. Strickland (for herself, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms. Randall, and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to provide services from midwives to covered beneficiaries under the TRICARE program.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Maternal and Infant Delivery Wellness and Integration with Vital Expertise Support for Service Members Act of 2025
or the MIDWIVES for Service Members Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Pilot program to make midwife services available through TRICARE
(a) Pilot program
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall begin a five-year pilot program to provide services from covered midwives to covered beneficiaries under the TRICARE program.
(b) Authority To make permanent
If the Secretary determines, after the termination of the pilot program that such pilot program was successful, the Secretary may prescribe such regulations to establish a permanent program to make services from covered midwives available to covered beneficiaries as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(c) Reports
(1) Implementation report
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a plan to implement the pilot program under subsection (a).
(2) Annual report
Not later than one year after the date on which the pilot program begins and annually thereafter until the date that is 1 year after the termination of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report including:
(A)
The total cost of the pilot program and the cost per covered beneficiary who received care under the pilot program.
(B)
The total number of covered beneficiaries who received care under the pilot program.
(C)
The race, ethnicity, age, sex, relationship status, Armed Force, military occupation, and rank, as applicable, of covered beneficiaries who received care under the pilot program.
(D)
An assessment of the effects of the pilot program on quality of care, including—
(i)
on maternal and fetal outcomes; and
(ii)
on the number of preterm births, low-weight births, and rates of caesarean section, and such other data points as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(E)
An assessment of patient satisfaction of covered beneficiaries who received care through the pilot program.
(F)
An assessment of access to maternity and labor and delivery care for covered beneficiaries, including average wait time for an initial appointment and average travel time to the provider.
(G)
An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot program.
(H)
Recommendations for adjustments to the pilot program.
(I)
The estimated cost savings as a result of improved maternal and fetal health outcomes due to the pilot program.
(J)
The Secretary of Defense’s recommendations relating to changes to the pilot program, an extension of the pilot program, and whether the pilot program should be expanded and made permanent.
(d) Definitions
In this section:
(1)
The terms covered beneficiary
and TRICARE program
have the meanings given such terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.
(2)
The term covered midwife
means a certified professional midwife or certified midwife who meets—
(A)
the international definition of a midwife, and global standards for midwifery education, established by the International Confederation of Midwives, and
(B)
any professional credentialing requirement required to practice midwifery under applicable State law.