Congress expands maternal health coverage, funds doula training, raises tobacco taxes
H.R. 6303 — CARE for Moms Act · Filed by Robin Kelly (D-IL) · 11 cosponsors · Introduced Nov 25, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
The CARE for Moms Act establishes federal grants and programs to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States. It expands Medicaid and CHIP coverage for pregnant and postpartum women (including 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage), funds state perinatal quality collaboratives, supports doula workforce development, establishes rural obstetric mobile health units, requires hospitals to notify regulators before closing obstetric units, and funds regional centers to train healthcare providers in cultural competency and implicit bias. The bill also increases federal excise taxes on tobacco products to fund these maternal health initiatives.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is expanding Medicaid/CHIP coverage for pregnant and postpartum women and funding maternal health infrastructure (collaboratives, doulas, mobile units, provider training). The tobacco tax increase is the revenue mechanism, not the primary purpose. The bill is functionally a public health investment, not a tax bill.
What the text implies
- Tobacco tax increases may disproportionately affect lower-income smokers, though revenue funds maternal health for low-income pregnant people—a mixed distributional effect.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage (vs. current 60-day cliff) may reduce coverage gaps but creates new state administrative burden and federal cost exposure.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
healthcare providers (obstetricians, midwives, nurses); doula training programs and community-based organizations; rural hospitals and health systems