The CARE for Moms Act aims to combat the maternal health crisis by expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage, funding quality improvement collaboratives, supporting the doula workforce, and establishing mobile health units for rural areas, while also increasing tobacco taxes.
Robin Kelly
Representative
IL-2
The CARE for Moms Act aims to combat the rising maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. through significant federal investments and policy changes. The bill establishes grant programs to support state quality collaboratives and expand the doula workforce. Crucially, it mandates 12 months of postpartum coverage under Medicaid and CHIP, alongside requiring oral health services for pregnant and new mothers. Finally, the Act increases federal excise taxes on tobacco products to fund these maternal health initiatives.
CARE for Moms Act Mandates 12-Month Postpartum Coverage, Doubles Federal Tobacco Tax
The CARE for Moms Act is a major legislative push aimed squarely at tackling the nation’s alarmingly high maternal mortality rate. If you’re a busy person in your 20s, 30s, or 40s—especially if you’re planning a family or know someone who is—this bill is a big deal. It essentially tries to fix the system from the ground up by expanding healthcare access, funding specialized care, and then paying for it all with a massive increase in federal tobacco taxes.
The Postpartum Safety Net Gets A Year-Long Upgrade
Right now, many people who qualify for Medicaid based on pregnancy lose coverage just 60 days after giving birth. That’s a huge problem, especially since the bill notes that over half of maternal deaths happen between one week and one year postpartum. The CARE for Moms Act fixes this by making it mandatory for all state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans to provide continuous coverage for a full 12 months after pregnancy ends. This isn't a suggestion; it’s a required change to the Social Security Act. For new parents relying on Medicaid, this means no more scrambling for coverage while dealing with the physical and mental recovery of childbirth, which is a major win for stability and health equity.
Covering the Full Spectrum of Care
Beyond extending the timeline, the bill broadens what Medicaid must cover. For the first time, state Medicaid plans would be required to cover oral health services (dental care) for pregnant and postpartum individuals. Why dental care? Because poor oral health during pregnancy is linked to complications. This means preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services must be covered. Think about it: a seemingly minor dental issue could be a sign of a bigger problem, and now, access to that care is guaranteed.
This legislation also takes aim at the systemic issues contributing to racial disparities in maternal health—the bill’s findings state that Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. To combat this, the bill authorizes $5 million annually for Regional Centers of Excellence to train healthcare providers on implicit bias, cultural competency, and respectful care practices. It also includes $50 million in funding for a new program to train and diversify the “full spectrum doula” workforce, aiming to get more of these trained birth support professionals into underserved communities.
Bringing Care Where It’s Needed Most
If you live in a rural area where the nearest hospital obstetric unit closed last year, this bill offers two key provisions. First, it creates a pilot grant program, funded at $10 million annually, for states to purchase and equip rural mobile obstetric health units. These are essentially specialized clinics on wheels designed to bring pre-conception, prenatal, and emergency obstetric services directly to communities that have lost access. Second, the bill requires any hospital participating in Medicare to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services at least 90 days before closing an obstetric unit, along with a report detailing the impact on the community. This is a crucial attempt to prevent care deserts from forming without warning.
The Tobacco Tax Hike: The Bill’s Funding Engine
To pay for these expansive programs, the bill includes a massive tax increase on tobacco products. This is where the bill hits the wallets of manufacturers and consumers. The federal excise tax on cigarettes is set to double. The tax on small cigarettes goes from $50.33 per thousand to $100.66 per thousand. Other tobacco products, including roll-your-own, pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco (like snuff and chewing tobacco), see similarly dramatic increases to establish tax parity across the board. For example, the tax on snuff jumps from $1.51 per pound to $26.84 per pound.
Retailers and distributors need to pay close attention to the floor stocks tax. When the new, higher tax rates take effect, the bill imposes a one-time tax on all existing inventory held for sale. This means businesses have to pay the difference between the old tax rate they already paid and the new, higher rate on every pack, pouch, or can they have on the shelf. While businesses get a small credit (up to $1,000), this provision creates an immediate, significant cash flow burden for tobacco retailers and distributors right out of the gate.