The "Tech to Save Moms Act" aims to improve maternal health outcomes by expanding access to telehealth, supporting technology-enabled learning for healthcare providers, promoting digital tools to reduce health disparities, and studying the use of technology in maternity care.
Ben Luján
Senator
NM
The "Tech to Save Moms Act" aims to improve maternal health outcomes through increased access to telehealth and digital tools, particularly for underserved populations. It establishes grant programs to expand technology-enabled learning for maternal healthcare providers and to promote equity in maternal health through digital tools. The Act also mandates a study on the use of technology and patient monitoring devices in maternity care, with a focus on identifying and preventing racial or ethnic biases. Finally, the bill authorizes appropriations of \$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the grant programs.
Tech to Save Moms Act: Telehealth Expansion and $12M Annual Grants Proposed for Maternal Care
This bill, the "Tech to Save Moms Act," aims to boost maternal health outcomes by weaving technology more deeply into care, particularly for underserved communities. It proposes expanding telehealth options for pregnant and postpartum individuals on medical assistance and sets up two major grant programs, each funded at $6 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to develop and deploy tech-based solutions.
Plugging Gaps with Pixels
One core piece of the legislation involves updating the Social Security Act to officially allow telehealth for routine maternal care – think screenings, remote monitoring, and managing common pregnancy-related health issues for up to a year after birth. This change, set to kick in one year after the bill becomes law, could mean fewer trips to the clinic for check-ins, especially helpful for those in rural areas or facing transportation challenges. The focus is specifically on individuals receiving medical assistance, aiming to bridge access gaps.
Cash for Connected Care
Beyond direct telehealth use, the bill establishes two grant streams totaling $12 million annually (FY2026-2030). The first targets developing and expanding "technology-enabled collaborative learning" models. Essentially, this means funding projects that use tech to train healthcare providers (covering safety, implicit bias, mental health, substance use disorders, and using remote tools) and evaluate how these models improve care quality and patient outcomes. The second grant program focuses specifically on promoting health equity by funding digital tools designed to reduce maternal health disparities. Both grant programs prioritize getting funds to entities working in areas hit hardest by poor maternal health outcomes: health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), places with high maternal death rates, rural and underserved regions, and those serving medically underserved populations, including American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Each grant is intended for a 5-year period.
Checking the Tech for Bias and Effectiveness
Recognizing that technology isn't automatically neutral, the bill mandates a deep dive into its use in maternal care. Within 60 days of enactment, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would need to commission a 24-month study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This study is tasked with examining how new tech and patient monitoring devices are currently used, identifying any potential racial or ethnic biases baked into them, and recommending best practices for fair use, privacy, and security – particularly for individuals from minority groups. Additionally, all grant recipients under the bill must report on their progress and findings, helping build a picture of what actually works in using tech to improve maternal health across different communities.