Medicaid expands postpartum pelvic health coverage, closing care gap for low-income mothers

What it does

This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states on Medicaid and CHIP coverage of pelvic health services (pelvic floor exams and physical therapy) during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and requires the CDC to launch a public education campaign on these services for both healthcare providers and postpartum women. It also mandates a GAO study on coverage gaps and authorizes $2 million annually through 2030 for the education program.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is to expand Medicaid/CHIP coverage and provider education for postpartum pelvic health services—a straightforward public health measure addressing documented gaps in maternal care, not a regulatory carve-out or industry subsidy.

What the text implies

• Guidance on 'available financing options' and 'flexibilities' may enable states to shift pelvic health costs to beneficiaries through cost-sharing or narrow networks, depending on how CMS interprets the directive.
• The bill defines 'postpartum period' as the longer of lactation or 6 months—potentially extending Medicaid coverage obligations beyond the current 60-day postpartum window, with cost implications for state budgets.
• Education campaign may increase demand for pelvic health physical therapy, creating supply-side pressure and potential wait times if provider capacity does not expand proportionally.
• GAO study on 'gaps in coverage' may reveal state-level variation that pressures CMS to mandate uniform coverage standards, reducing state flexibility in Medicaid design.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill expands access to postpartum pelvic health services for low-income women covered by Medicaid and CHIP by removing coverage barriers, improving provider knowledge, and educating patients about available care. It addresses a documented gap in postpartum care without imposing new costs on beneficiaries or restricting existing protections.

Who stands to gain

• pelvic health physical therapists and clinics
• healthcare providers offering pelvic floor examinations
• pharmaceutical and medical device companies serving pelvic health (indirect, via increased diagnosis

Named in the bill

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicaid (Title XIX, Social Security Act), Children's Health Insurance Program / CHIP (Title XXI, Social Security Act), Government Accountability Office (GAO), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Guardant Health (GH), Pfizer (PFE), DaVita (DVA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Where it stands

41 cosponsors: 33 Democrats, 8 Republicans.

• Jun 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 23, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 6 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $6,317,051 in lobbying spend. A filing names 25 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Don Bacon, the sponsor, reported $513,000 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Medical Association — $5,643,000 on 2 filings
• American Physical Therapy Association — $614,051 on 2 filings
• American Physical Therapy Association — $60,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.