Text of Bill (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03), and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) reintroduced legislation to address rising maternal mortality rates by increasing access to comprehensive care for pregnant women on Medicaid. The Harnessing Effective and Appropriate Long-Term Health for Moms on Medicaid (HEALTH for MOM) Act would support state-led efforts to coordinate maternity care through maternal health homes.

“My grandmother died giving birth in the 1950s, and it is shameful that over half a century later, we still have a maternal morbidity crisis that is killing our loved ones and destabilizing our communities,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would help address the maternal health crisis—which is disproportionately impacting Black and low-income folks—by helping vulnerable families access high-quality, culturally congruent maternal care. I’m grateful to our colleagues for their partnership. It’s time for Congress to pass this bill without delay.”

“At-risk mothers in Iowa are being failed by a system that makes it too difficult to access basic care,” said Rep. Nunn. “This bill gives states the tools to build strong, community-based support systems for expecting mothers—especially in rural areas—so every woman has access to the care she needs for a healthy pregnancy and delivery.”

“Broadlawns sees firsthand the critical need for accessible, coordinated maternal care. Supporting initiatives that expand access and improve outcomes aligns directly with our mission to provide high-quality care for every patient—before, during, and after pregnancy,” said Proctor Lureman, President and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center.

The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, yet nearly 2 million women live in maternity care deserts—regions with limited or no access to essential services.

More than 400,000 babies are born each year in areas with restricted access to maternity care, and the average pregnancy-related healthcare cost is nearly $19,000 per birth. For families with insurance, this still amounts to over $2,800 in out-of-pocket costs—creating a significant barrier to care.

To address these challenges, the HEALTH for MOM Act would provide grants to states to establish maternal health homes. These health homes would deliver coordinated maternity care through individualized, patient-centered care plans, helping reduce emergency room visits and costly hospital stays associated with pregnancy complications.

Text of the bill can be found here.

As a founding member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Congresswoman Pressley has been a longtime champion of maternal health and reproductive justice.

• Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has convened roundtable meetings with maternal health advocates and practitioners in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District.
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley (MA-07) and Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA), in partnership with disability justice and reproductive justice advocates, unveiled a bicameral resolution calling for equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as “Disability Reproductive Equity Day.”
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley announced the re-introduction of the Mamas First Act, legislation that directly and meaningfully addresses the maternal mortality crisis by expanding Medicaid to include doula and midwifery care. 
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley marked Mother’s Day with a powerful speech on the House floor in which she called for meaningful policy change to better support mothers and caregivers, including maternal health justice, affordable childcare, universal paid leave, reproductive freedom, home and community-based services, and more.
• In October 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced the MOMMIES Act to improve maternal health outcomes.
• In June 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
• In May 2023, Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) introduced a resolution recognizing the role doulas play in providing culturally competent maternal health care, addressing racial inequities, and supporting healthier outcomes for mothers and their babies.
• In December 2022, the House passed Congresswoman Pressley’s amendment to strengthen maternal health care for people who are incarcerated.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care following the Dobbs decision.
• In November 2021, at a briefing held by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), Congresswoman Pressley delivered testimony on the growing racial disparities in maternal health and the urgent need to combat the Black maternal mortality crisis. Her full testimony at the briefing is available here.
• In May 2021, she introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act, to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for pregnant people and expand coverage to include culturally competent and community based doula care.
• In March 2020, she first introduced the Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act, legislation to improve maternal health care and support for pregnant individuals who are incarcerated, as part of the Momnibus legislative package. 
• In 2019, she introduced The People’s Justice Guarantee ─ a comprehensive framework to transform the American criminal legal system into one that guarantees justice for all.  She also introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to expand Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60-days postpartum to one year.

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