Neonatal Care Transparency Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Tom Cotton
Introduced
Summary
Transparency about hospitals' and practitioners' rules for providing life-saving care to premature infants. This bill would require hospitals to publish their policy and obstetric providers to tell patients at the first prenatal visit whether and how life-saving care will be offered for premature births.
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- Families and pregnant people would get clear information at the first prenatal visit about any minimum gestational age, whether decisions are case-by-case, and how transfers to a neonatal intensive care unit would be handled. These disclosures would be implemented beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
- Hospitals must publicly state whether they use a minimum gestational age, whether care decisions are individualized, and the process for transferring mother and infant to the nearest facility with a neonatal intensive care unit when needed. Practitioners with admitting privileges must give the same info to patients.
- Medicaid and CHIP funding would be tied to compliance. Federal Medicaid and CHIP payments would not cover care provided by a hospital or obstetric provider that fails to make the required disclosures, with that funding condition taking effect 180 days after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Medicaid and CHIP payments require disclosures
If enacted, beginning 180 days after enactment the federal government would not pay for Medicaid or CHIP care at a hospital or obstetric provider unless they satisfy the neonatal disclosure rules. That could limit where Medicaid and CHIP enrollees can get care and, in some cases, lead to out-of-pocket costs or transfers to other hospitals.
Neonatal care disclosure for parents
If enacted, hospitals would have to publicly post their policy on life-saving care for very premature babies. Practitioners with admitting privileges would have to tell patients at the first prenatal visit what the hospital policy says. The disclosures must say if there is a minimum gestational age, whether decisions are case-by-case, and how transfers to the nearest NICU would work. This would give expectant parents clearer information to plan where to deliver.
Medicare hospitals must disclose neonatal policies
If enacted, hospitals that want to participate in Medicare on or after January 1, 2026 would need to meet the neonatal disclosure rules. Hospitals would also need to make sure every obstetric practitioner at the hospital follows the practitioner disclosure rule. This would give Medicare patients more transparency but also adds a new participation requirement for hospitals.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Tom Cotton
AR • R
Cosponsors
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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