Title: Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act of 2019 or the Helping MOMS Act of 2019
This bill allows states to provide one year of postpartum coverage under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). (Current law requires 60 days of postpartum coverage.)
Additionally, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission must report on specified information relating to coverage of doula services under state Medicaid programs, including coverage barriers and recommendations for improvement.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4996 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity 
Services Act of 2019'' or the ``Helping MOMS Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. STATE OPTION UNDER MEDICAID PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FOR AND EXTEND 
              CONTINUOUS COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) State Option To Extend Continuous Coverage for Pregnant and 
Postpartum Individuals.--Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 1902(e)(5), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period'';
            (2) in section 1902(e)(6), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period'';
            (3) in section 1902(l)(1)(A), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``, or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period,'';
            (4) in section 1903(v)(4)(A)(i), by inserting after ``60-
        day period'' the following: ``, or, at the option of the State, 
        1-year period,''; and
            (5) in section 1905(a), in the fourth sentence in the 
        matter following paragraph (30), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``, or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period,''.
    (b) State Option To Provide Continuous Coverage for Full Benefits 
for Individuals Who Are or Become Pregnant.--Section 1902(e)(6) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(6)), as amended by subsection 
(a), is further amended--
            (1) by striking ``(6) In the case of a pregnant woman'' and 
        inserting
    ``(6)(A) In the case of a pregnant woman''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(B)(i) At the option of the State, the State plan may provide 
that an individual who is eligible for medical assistance under the 
State plan (or a waiver of such plan) or for child health assistance 
under title XXI and who is, or who while so eligible becomes, pregnant 
shall continue to be eligible for such medical assistance or child 
health assistance, respectively, through the end of the month in which 
the 1-year period (beginning on the last day of such pregnancy) ends, 
regardless of the basis for the individual's eligibility for such 
medical assistance.''.
    (c) Increase of FMAP.--Section 1905 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(gg) Temporary Increase for Certain States.--Notwithstanding 
subsection (b) or (z)(2), in the case of a State that makes an election 
under section 1902(e)(6)(B) to provide for continuation described in 
such section, the Federal medical assistance percentage for such State 
shall be increased by 5 percentage points with respect to medical 
assistance furnished during such quarter. The previous sentence shall 
apply only with respect to calendar quarters occurring during 2020.''.
    (d) Application to CHIP Optional Coverage of Targeted Low-Income 
Pregnant Women.--Section 2112 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1397ll) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)(2)(A), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``, or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period''; and
            (2) in subsection (f)(2), by inserting after ``60-day 
        period'' the following: ``, or, at the option of the State, 1-
        year period''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to eligibility determinations for items and services 
under State plans under title XIX of the Social Security Act (or a 
waiver of such a plan) (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and under State child 
health plans under title XXI (or waiver of such a plan) made on or 
after January 1, 2020.

SEC. 3. MACPAC REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access 
Commission (referred to in this section as ``MACPAC'') shall publish a 
report on the coverage of doula care under State Medicaid programs, 
which shall at a minimum include the following:
            (1) Information about coverage for doula care under State 
        Medicaid programs that currently provide coverage for such 
        care, including the type of doula care offered (such as 
        prenatal, labor and delivery, postpartum support, and also 
        community-based and traditional doula care).
            (2) An analysis of barriers to covering doula care under 
        State Medicaid programs.
            (3) An identification of effective strategies to increase 
        the use of doula care in order to provide better care and 
        achieve better maternal and infant health outcomes, including 
        strategies that States may use to recruit, train, and certify a 
        diverse doula workforce, particularly from underserved 
        communities, communities of color, and communities facing 
        linguistic or cultural barriers.
            (4) Recommendations for legislative and administrative 
        actions to increase access to doula care in State Medicaid 
        programs, including actions that ensure doulas may earn a 
        living wage that accounts for their time and costs associated 
        with providing care.
    (b) Stakeholder Consultation.--In developing the report required 
under subsection (a), MACPAC shall consult with relevant stakeholders, 
including--
            (1) States;
            (2) organizations representing consumers, including those 
        that are disproportionately impacted by poor maternal health 
        outcomes;
            (3) organizations and individuals representing doula care 
        providers, including community-based doula programs and those 
        who serve underserved communities, including communities of 
        color, and communities facing linguistic or cultural barriers; 
        and
            (4) organizations representing health care providers.
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