NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Introduces Suite of Mother’s Day Bills Supporting Maternal Health

Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today introduced three bills to support pregnant and postpartum moms in honor of Mother's Day. The bipartisan Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act, which is co-led by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), would improve Medicaid coverage for pelvic physical therapy and raise awareness of this postpartum treatment. The bicameral Innovative Maternal Payment and Coverage (IMPACT) to Save Moms Act, which Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09) will introduce in the House, would give states the ability to test new payment approaches for maternity care under their Medicaid and CHIP programs. The bicameral Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety (WELLS) Act, which Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02) introduced in March, would address safe discharge of laboring women and racial bias in the health care system.

"As a mother and grandmother, I know first-hand the joys and challenges that motherhood brings," said Senator Blunt Rochester. "I'm proud to lead legislation that strengthens the healthcare services afforded to moms across the country. It's time that we ensure moms receive the same caliber of care that they so often give to others."

"I believe there is no greater gift than that of parenthood, and strong, healthy families start with making sure mothers and babies get the care they need," Senator Sullivan said. "In Alaska, where our unique geography, distance, and weather can already create serious barriers to care, it can be especially challenging for new mothers and families. Our legislation will help improve outcomes across the country by strengthening access to health services and making sure women are not left to navigate this critical time alone."

"Black women in the US are still far more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and that is unacceptable," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. "In the richest country in the world, every person deserves access to high-quality, equitable maternal health care before, during, and after pregnancy. I'm proud to reintroduce the IMPACT to Save Moms Act alongside Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester to help create innovative maternity care payment models and expand continuous health insurance coverage for pregnant women, helping ensure timely diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment throughout pregnancy and postpartum care. No one should lose their life because our health care system failed to provide the care they needed at one of the most critical moments of their lives."

"Black women's pain is too often overlooked, dismissed, or minimized with devastating consequences," said Congresswoman Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. "The WELLS Act is named after my constituent, Mercedes Wells, who was discharged while in active labor and forced to give birth on the side of the road. My bill ensures that every mother is heard, respected, and safely treated so no other mother goes through a similar traumatic situation. I'm proud to work with Senator Blunt Rochester to advance maternal health equity and improve the care moms receive during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum."

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act would:

• Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance on coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for postpartum pelvic physical therapy.
• Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on pelvic health programs and gaps in coverage for postpartum women.
• Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a campaign to educate and train health professionals on the benefits of pelvic physical therapy, as well as educate postpartum women on the importance of pelvic physical therapy and how to receive these services.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act is endorsed by American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), APTA Academy of Pelvic Health, and Bayhealth Medical Center. Click here for more information.

The IMPACT to Save Moms Act would:

• Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 5-year Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project, giving states the ability to test new payment approaches for maternity care under their Medicaid and CHIP programs.
• Adjust payment levels based on pregnancy risk level, helping ensure high-risk patients are directed to the appropriate level of care.
• Tie payments to measurable health outcomes rather than volume of services.
• Explicitly incorporate non-clinical factors such as housing, nutrition, and access to transportation into the payment model.
• Support interdisciplinary teams that include maternity care providers, mental and behavioral health professionals, registered dietitians, and perinatal health workers - with an emphasis on providers from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and those trained on implicit bias and racism.
• Require models to consider maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
• Require HHS to evaluate the project's impact on maternal health outcomes, state spending, and patient experience.

Click here for more information.

The WELLS Act would:

• Require hospitals to develop, implement, and document a Safe Labor Discharge Plan prior to discharging patients who present with signs and symptoms of labor.
• Require regular racial bias training and reporting of training for all recipients of funding from the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program under HHS.

The WELLS Act is endorsed by 4Kira4Moms, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Chamber of Mothers, and In Our Own Voice. Click here for more information.