Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act

No-cost maternity and newborn care

If enacted, this would add a Maternity and Newborn Care benefit to the ACA essential health benefits. Plans would have to cover prenatal care, delivery, newborn care, and one year of postpartum care. Required services would include ultrasounds, miscarriage care, delivery services (including anesthesia, fetal monitoring, and specialist consults), and postpartum medical and behavioral health. Behavioral health for legal parents who did not give birth would be covered for one year after the birth. If enacted, plans could not charge deductibles, copays, or coinsurance for these maternity and newborn services. The rule would apply to group and individual plans, including many employer plans covered by ERISA and plans treated under the tax code, for plan years beginning on or after the date of enactment.