H.R. 8907

119 HR 8907 IH: Innovative Maternal Payment and Coverage To Save Moms Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-05-19
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8907  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   May 19, 2026   Ms. Schakowsky  (for herself,  Ms. Barragán ,  Ms. Budzinski ,  Mr. Carbajal ,  Ms. Clarke of New York ,  Mr. Cleaver ,  Mr. Cohen ,  Ms. Craig ,  Mr. Davis of Illinois ,  Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania ,  Ms. DelBene ,  Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania ,  Mr. Garamendi ,  Ms. Garcia of Texas ,  Mr. Gottheimer ,  Mrs. Hayes ,  Mr. Huffman ,  Mr. Krishnamoorthi ,  Mr. Lynch ,  Ms. McCollum ,  Ms. McClellan ,  Mr. Meeks ,  Ms. Meng ,  Mr. Morelle ,  Ms. Moore of Wisconsin ,  Mr. Moulton ,  Mr. Mullin ,  Ms. Pressley ,  Mr. Schneider ,  Ms. Sewell ,  Ms. Simon ,  Mr. Smith of Washington ,  Ms. Strickland ,  Ms. Stansbury ,  Mrs. Sykes ,  Mr. Takano ,  Ms. Tlaib ,  Mr. Tonko ,  Mrs. Torres of California ,  Mrs. Trahan ,  Mr. Vargas ,  Mr. Veasey , and  Ms. Williams of Georgia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Energy and Commerce    A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project to test various payment models with respect to maternity care provided to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Innovative Maternal Payment and Coverage To Save Moms Act   or the   IMPACT to Save Moms Act  .
2.
Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project
(a)
In general
For the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the  Secretary ), acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall establish and implement, in accordance with the requirements of this section, a demonstration project, to be known as the Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project (referred to in this section as the  Demonstration Project ), for purposes of allowing States to test payment models under their State plans under title XIX of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq. ) and State child health plans under title XXI of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq. ) with respect to maternity care provided to pregnant and postpartum individuals enrolled in such State plans and State child health plans.
(b)
Coordination
In establishing the Demonstration Project, the Secretary shall coordinate with stakeholders such as—
(1)
State Medicaid programs;
(2)
maternity care providers and organizations representing maternity care providers;
(3)
relevant organizations representing patients, with a particular focus on patients from demographic groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, maternal health disparities, or other adverse perinatal or childbirth outcomes;
(4)
relevant community-based organizations, particularly organizations that seek to improve maternal health outcomes for individuals from demographic groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, maternal health disparities, or other adverse perinatal or childbirth outcomes;
(5)
perinatal health workers;
(6)
relevant health insurance issuers;
(7)
hospitals, health systems, midwifery practices, freestanding birth centers (as such term is defined in paragraph (3)(B) of section 1905(l) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396d(l) )), Federally-qualified health centers (as such term is defined in paragraph (2)(B) of such section), and rural health clinics (as such term is defined in section 1861(aa) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa) ));
(8)
researchers and policy experts in fields related to maternity care payment models; and
(9)
any other stakeholders as the Secretary determines appropriate, with a particular focus on stakeholders from demographic groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, maternal health disparities, or other adverse perinatal or childbirth outcomes.
(c)
Considerations
In establishing the Demonstration Project, the Secretary shall consider any alternative payment model that—
(1)
is designed to improve maternal health outcomes for individuals from demographic groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, maternal health disparities, or other adverse perinatal or childbirth outcomes;
(2)
includes methods for stratifying patients by pregnancy risk level and, as appropriate, adjusting payments under such model to take into account pregnancy risk level, including consideration of the appropriate transfer of patients by pregnancy risk level;
(3)
establishes evidence-based quality metrics for such payments;
(4)
includes consideration of nonhospital birth settings such as freestanding birth centers (as so defined);
(5)
includes consideration of social determinants of maternal health;
(6)
includes diverse maternity care teams that include—
(A)
maternity care providers, mental and behavioral health care providers acting in accordance with State law, and registered dietitians or nutrition professionals (as such term is defined in section 1395x(vv)(2) of title 42, United States Code)—
(i)
from racially, ethnically, and professionally diverse backgrounds;
(ii)
with experience practicing in racially and ethnically diverse communities; or
(iii)
who have undergone training on implicit bias and racism; and
(B)
perinatal health workers; or
(7)
includes consideration of maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
(d)
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the Demonstration Project, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(e)
Evaluation
The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the Demonstration Project to determine the impact of the Demonstration Project on—
(1)
maternal health outcomes, with data stratified by race, ethnicity, primary language, socioeconomic status, geography, insurance type, and other factors as the Secretary determines appropriate;
(2)
spending on maternity care by States participating in the Demonstration Project;
(3)
to the extent practicable, qualitative and quantitative measures of patient experience; and
(4)
any other areas of assessment that the Secretary determines relevant.
(f)
Report
Not later than one year after the completion or termination date of the Demonstration Project, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make publicly available, a report containing—
(1)
the results of any evaluation conducted under subsection (e); and
(2)
a recommendation regarding whether the Demonstration Project should be continued after fiscal year 2031 and expanded on a national basis.
(g)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Alternative payment model
The term  alternative payment model  has the meaning given such term in section 1833(z)(3)(C) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395l(z)(3)(C) ).
(2)
Maternal mortality
The term  maternal mortality  means a death occurring during or within a 1-year period after pregnancy, caused by pregnancy-related or childbirth complications, including a suicide, overdose, or other death resulting from a mental health or substance use disorder attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy-related or childbirth complications.
(3)
Maternity care provider
The term  maternity care provider  means a health care provider who—
(A)
is a physician, a physician assistant, a midwife who meets, at a minimum, the international definition of a midwife and global standards for midwifery education as established by the International Confederation of Midwives, an advanced practice registered nurse, a doula accredited by a State to receive reimbursement for doula services under a State plan (or a waiver of such plan) under title XIX of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq. ), or a lactation consultant certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners; and
(B)
has a focus on maternal or perinatal health.
(4)
Perinatal
The term  perinatal  means the period beginning on the day an individual becomes pregnant and ending on the last day of the 1-year period beginning on the last day of such individual’s pregnancy.
(5)
Perinatal health worker
The term  perinatal health worker  means a nonclinical health worker focused on maternal or perinatal health, such as a doula, community health worker, peer supporter, lactation educator or counselor, nutritionist or dietitian, childbirth educator, social worker, home visitor, patient navigator or coordinator, or language interpreter.
(6)
Postpartum and postpartum period
The terms  postpartum  and  postpartum period  refer to the 1-year period beginning on the last day of the pregnancy of an individual.
(7)
Severe maternal morbidity
The term  severe maternal morbidity  means a health condition, including mental health conditions and substance use disorders, attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy or childbirth that results in significant short-term or long-term consequences to the health of the individual who was pregnant.
(8)
Social determinants of maternal health
The term  social determinants of maternal health  means nonclinical factors that impact maternal health outcomes.
(h)
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.