June 25, 2025
Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Chu, Ms. Norton, Mr. Huffman, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Ross, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Morelle, and Mr. Kennedy of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for maternal health care services.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act
.
Sec. 2. Higher FMAP for increased expenditures under medicaid for maternal health services
Section 1903 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)(5)—
(A)
by striking an amount equal
and inserting (A) an amount equal
; and
(B)
by adding at the end the following:
and
(B)
for calendar quarters beginning on or after January 1 of the year beginning after one year after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, an amount equal to 90 percent of the amounts by which—
(i)
the sum of the amounts expended which are attributable to the offering, arranging, and furnishing (directly or on a contract basis) under the State plan (or waiver of the plan) of maternal health care services (as described in subsection (b)(6)(B)) for such quarter, exceeds
(ii)
the sum of the amounts expended which are attributable to the offering, arranging, and furnishing (directly or on a contract basis) under the State plan (or waiver of the plan) of such services for the corresponding quarter in the four-quarter period ending on December 31, 2019, plus; and
(2)
in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(6) Accountability and maintenance of effort requirements for additional federal funding for increased expenditures for maternal health care services
(A) In general
As conditions for receiving the funds the Secretary is otherwise obligated to pay to a State under subsection (a)(5)(B), a State shall meet the following requirements:
(i) Supplement, not supplant
The State shall use the funds received under such subsection to supplement, not supplant, the level of State funds expended for the offering, arranging, and furnishing (directly or on a contract basis) under the State plan (or under a waiver of the plan) of maternal health care services (as described in subparagraph (B)) through programs and activities in effect as of January 1, 2023.
(ii) Use of funds for activities that improve delivery of maternal health care services
The State shall use the funds received under such subsection for activities that increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality in the provision of maternal health care services.
(B) Definitions
For purposes of this paragraph and subsection (a)(5)(B):
(i) Maternal health care services
Maternal health care services described in this subparagraph are services furnished by a maternity care provider or perinatal health worker, such as the following:
(I)
Prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum health care services that are furnished in a licensed and accredited hospital, birth center, midwifery practice, or other health care practice that provides prenatal services, labor and delivery services, and postpartum services.
(II)
Telehealth services during the prenatal and postpartum periods.
(III)
Home visiting services during the prenatal and postpartum periods.
(IV)
Mental or behavioral health care services for individuals during the prenatal and postpartum periods.
(ii) Maternity care provider
The term
maternity care providermeans a health care provider who—(I)
is a physician, physician assistant, midwife who meets at a minimum the international definition of the midwife and global standards for midwifery education as established by the International Confederation of Midwives, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist; and
(II)
has a focus on maternal or perinatal health.
(iii) Perinatal health worker
The term
perinatal health workermeans a doula, community health worker, breastfeeding and lactation educator or counselor, nutritionist or dietitian, childbirth educator, social worker, home visitor, or language interpreter.(iv) Postpartum and postpartum period
The terms
postpartumandpostpartum periodeach refer to the 1-year period beginning on the last day of the pregnancy of an individual.