I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4996 

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for a State option 

under the Medicaid program to provide for and extend continuous coverage for certain individuals, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Ms. KELLY of Illinois (for herself, Mr. BURGESS, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mrs. 

RODGERS of Washington, Ms. PRESSLEY, and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide 

for a State option under the Medicaid program to provide 

for and extend continuous coverage for certain individuals, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Medicaid 

5 Offer Maternity Services Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘Helping 

6 MOMS Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATE OPTION UNDER MEDICAID PROGRAM TO 

2 PROVIDE FOR AND EXTEND CONTINUOUS 

3 COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS. 

4 (a) STATE OPTION TO EXTEND CONTINUOUS COV5 ERAGE FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM INDIVID6 UALS.—Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 1396 et seq.) is amended— 

8 (1) in section 1902(e)(5), by inserting after 

9 ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘or, at the option of 

10 the State, 1-year period’’; 

11 (2) in section 1902(e)(6), by inserting after 

12 ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘or, at the option of 

13 the State, 1-year period’’; 

14 (3) in section 1902(l)(1)(A), by inserting after 

15 ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘, or, at the option 

16 of the State, 1-year period,’’; 

17 (4) in section 1903(v)(4)(A)(i), by inserting 

18 after ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘, or, at the op19 tion of the State, 1-year period,’’; and 

20 (5) in section 1905(a), in the fourth sentence in 

21 the matter following paragraph (30), by inserting 

22 after ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘, or, at the op23 tion of the State, 1-year period,’’. 

24 (b) STATE OPTION TO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS COV25 ERAGE FOR FULL BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE

26 OR BECOME PREGNANT.—Section 1902(e)(6) of the SoVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:50 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4996.IH H4996

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•HR 4996 IH

1 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(6)), as amended by 

2 subsection (a), is further amended— 

3 (1) by striking ‘‘(6) In the case of a pregnant 

4 woman’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘(6)(A) In the case of a pregnant woman’’; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(B)(i) At the option of the State, the State plan may 

8 provide that an individual who is eligible for medical as9 sistance under the State plan (or a waiver of such plan) 

10 or for child health assistance under title XXI and who is, 

11 or who while so eligible becomes, pregnant shall continue 

12 to be eligible for such medical assistance or child health 

13 assistance, respectively, through the end of the month in 

14 which the 1-year period (beginning on the last day of such 

15 pregnancy) ends, regardless of the basis for the individ16 ual’s eligibility for such medical assistance.’’. 

17 (c) INCREASE OF FMAP.—Section 1905 is amended 

18 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

19 ‘‘(gg) TEMPORARY INCREASE FOR CERTAIN

20 STATES.—Notwithstanding subsection (b) or (z)(2), in the 

21 case of a State that makes an election under section 

22 1902(e)(6)(B) to provide for continuation described in 

23 such section, the Federal medical assistance percentage 

24 for such State shall be increased by 5 percentage points 

25 with respect to medical assistance furnished during such 


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1 quarter. The previous sentence shall apply only with re2 spect to calendar quarters occurring during 2020.’’. 

3 (d) APPLICATION TO CHIP OPTIONAL COVERAGE OF

4 TARGETED LOW-INCOME PREGNANT WOMEN.—Section 

5 2112 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ll) is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (d)(2)(A), by inserting after 

8 ‘‘60-day period’’ the following: ‘‘, or, at the option 

9 of the State, 1-year period’’; and 

10 (2) in subsection (f)(2), by inserting after ‘‘60- 

11 day period’’ the following: ‘‘, or, at the option of the 

12 State, 1-year period’’. 

13 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall apply with respect to eligibility deter15 minations for items and services under State plans under 

16 title XIX of the Social Security Act (or a waiver of such 

17 a plan) (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and under State child 

18 health plans under title XXI (or waiver of such a plan) 

19 made on or after January 1, 2020. 

20 SEC. 3. MACPAC REPORT. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act, the Medicaid and CHIP 

23 Payment and Access Commission (referred to in this sec24 tion as ‘‘MACPAC’’) shall publish a report on the coverage 


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1 of doula care under State Medicaid programs, which shall 

2 at a minimum include the following: 

3 (1) Information about coverage for doula care 

4 under State Medicaid programs that currently pro5 vide coverage for such care, including the type of 

6 doula care offered (such as prenatal, labor and deliv7 ery, postpartum support, and also community-based 

8 and traditional doula care). 

9 (2) An analysis of barriers to covering doula 

10 care under State Medicaid programs. 

11 (3) An identification of effective strategies to 

12 increase the use of doula care in order to provide 

13 better care and achieve better maternal and infant 

14 health outcomes, including strategies that States 

15 may use to recruit, train, and certify a diverse doula 

16 workforce, particularly from underserved commu17 nities, communities of color, and communities facing 

18 linguistic or cultural barriers. 

19 (4) Recommendations for legislative and admin20 istrative actions to increase access to doula care in 

21 State Medicaid programs, including actions that en22 sure doulas may earn a living wage that accounts for 

23 their time and costs associated with providing care. 


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1 (b) STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION.—In developing 

2 the report required under subsection (a), MACPAC shall 

3 consult with relevant stakeholders, including— 

4 (1) States; 

5 (2) organizations representing consumers, in6 cluding those that are disproportionately impacted 

7 by poor maternal health outcomes; 

8 (3) organizations and individuals representing 

9 doula care providers, including community-based 

10 doula programs and those who serve underserved 

11 communities, including communities of color, and 

12 communities facing linguistic or cultural barriers; 

13 and 

14 (4) organizations representing health care pro15 viders. 

Æ 


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