Care for Her Act
12/30/2022, 11:03 AMSummary of Bill HR 5163
The Care for Her Act, also known as Bill 117 hr 5163, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main goal of this bill is to improve access to maternal health care services for women across the country.One of the key provisions of the Care for Her Act is the establishment of a grant program to support states in expanding access to maternal health care services. This includes funding for prenatal care, postpartum care, and mental health services for pregnant and postpartum women.
Additionally, the bill aims to address disparities in maternal health outcomes by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to collect and report data on maternal mortality rates, particularly among women of color and in rural areas. This data will be used to identify areas in need of additional support and resources. Furthermore, the Care for Her Act includes provisions to improve the quality of care provided to pregnant and postpartum women, such as increasing funding for training programs for health care providers and implementing best practices for maternal health care. Overall, the Care for Her Act seeks to address the ongoing maternal health crisis in the United States by expanding access to care, addressing disparities in outcomes, and improving the quality of care provided to pregnant and postpartum women.
Congressional Summary of HR 5163
Care for Her Act
This bill allows an eligible taxpayer to claim the Child Tax Credit for the tax year preceding the year the child is born. It also sets out other activities to support parents and pregnant women.
Specifically, the bill establishes the Pregnancy Support Collaborative, which consists of representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and states that elect to participate.
The collaborative must maintain a clearinghouse of information on providers of pregnancy and parenting supports and services. States must identify providers in their jurisdictions who meet applicable criteria for inclusion. In addition, the collaborative must share information about education and training opportunities for parents and pregnant women and identify successful programs (including workplace policies) to support them. Furthermore, the collaborative must award grants to states for local programs to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. If a community demonstrates that its program reduces Medicaid costs, it retains a portion of those savings.
If approved by the collaborative, HHS must award grants to providers in the clearinghouse for mentoring and training pregnant women and new mothers and addressing gaps in the availability of maternity housing. Additionally, HHS may award grants for pregnancy and parenting supports and services.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must jointly maintain a database of de-identified epidemiological and Medicaid claims data to evaluate the effect of maternity homes on maternal and infant health outcomes.
