Mamas First Act
Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced
Summary
Expands Medicaid coverage to include doulas, midwives, tribal midwives, and lactation support providers so pregnant people and new parents can access culturally congruent prenatal, labor, and postpartum care in homes, clinics, hospitals, birth centers, community settings, or by telehealth where state law allows.
Show full summary
- Families: People on Medicaid would get covered prenatal, labor, and postpartum support from these providers with no patient cost-sharing for those services.
- Providers: The bill defines four provider types and sets rules for Medicaid participation. It requires certification and client or provider recommendations for doulas, international midwifery standards or state authorization for midwives, tribal recognition for tribal midwives, and about 20 hours of WHO/UNICEF-based foundational training or an equivalent for lactation support providers.
- States and implementation: States would have to add these services as a mandatory Medicaid benefit. The changes would apply to care furnished on or after January 1, 2027, but states that need additional state legislation may delay compliance until after their next regular legislative session.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Medicaid must cover maternity supports
This bill would require State Medicaid plans to cover prenatal, labor, and postpartum care from doulas, midwives, tribal midwives, and lactation support providers. The care would be covered in homes, clinics, hospitals, birth centers, community sites, or by telehealth where state law allows. States would have to treat these services as mandatory Medicaid benefits for care furnished on or after January 1, 2027. Medicaid enrollees would not pay copays, coinsurance, or other cost‑sharing for these services.
Who counts as covered providers
This bill would define four Medicaid provider types: doulas, midwives, tribal midwives, and lactation support providers. A doula would need certification with required continuing education, maintain that certification, and provide either client or provider recommendations (or be authorized by the State plan). A lactation support provider would need State authorization, or at least 20 hours of WHO/UNICEF‑based foundational training (or equivalent), or recognition on the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee descriptor chart. Midwives would need State authorization or to meet the International Confederation of Midwives' definition and education standards; tribal midwives would need State authorization or tribal recognition. These definitions would apply to care furnished on or after January 1, 2027.
State delay if new laws needed
This bill would apply these Medicaid changes to care furnished on or after January 1, 2027. If the HHS Secretary finds a State plan needs new State laws to comply, the State would not be treated as noncompliant until the first day of the first calendar quarter after the State legislature's first regular session ends after enactment. For States with two‑year legislative sessions, each year would count as a separate regular session. This would delay when enrollees get the new services in some States.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]
NC • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]
TX • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]
AZ • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/15/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov