Congress mandates free mental health care for pregnant women—insurers absorb cost
H.R. 7227 — Mental Health and MAMA Act of 2026 · Filed by Gwen Moore (D-WI) · 25 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 22, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder services for pregnant and postpartum individuals (through one year after pregnancy) with zero cost-sharing—no copays, coinsurance, or deductibles. The requirement applies to group plans, individual plans, and federal employee health plans, and takes effect two years after enactment. It also extends continuity-of-care protections so pregnant and postpartum patients can keep seeing the same providers during treatment.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is a regulatory mandate requiring insurers to eliminate cost-sharing for a specific population (pregnant and postpartum individuals) for a specific service category (mental health and substance use disorder services). It is a public health protection, not a tax provision, appropriation, or commemorative measure.
What the text implies
- The two-year implementation delay may allow insurers to adjust pricing and plan design before the mandate takes effect, potentially shifting costs to other plan members or services.
- The bill applies only to in-network providers, which may incentivize insurers to narrow mental health networks or reduce in-network provider reimbursement rates to offset the zero-cost-sharing mandate.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
mental health service providers; substance use disorder treatment providers; telehealth platforms specializing in maternal mental health