FAIRPORT, N.Y. – New bipartisan legislation sponsored by New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand aims to make childbirth more affordable for families. The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act would classify birth-related costs as essential health benefits, eliminating cost-sharing for these services.
The act would require private insurance to cover a range of services, including ultrasounds, delivery services, postpartum care, and mental health treatment for conditions related to pregnancy. It would also provide coverage for care after miscarriages and for adoptive parents facing mental health challenges.
“The costs associated with having a baby can be astronomical, and we should be doing everything we can to lower them,” Gillibrand said.
Samantha Saxby, director of Moms with Benefits, started the program nearly two years ago to prepare mothers for the financial impact of motherhood.
“Finances came into play before we even started trying to have a kid or two. We’ve talked about do we want more and we’re working on whether it’s financially responsible for us to have more than two kids.” Saxby said when talking about the financial strain of having a child.
Moms with Benefits reported that 72% of mothers feel at least somewhat stressed about finances. Saxby, with a background in employee benefits, experienced unexpected bills after her son was born early. This personal experience motivated her to help other parents navigate the financial challenges of parenthood.
“I actually have a background in employee benefits so I think I know more than the average person about HSA’s and selecting the right health plan and using out-of-pocket dollars” Saxby explained. “I was still surprised because we had an out of pocket maximum that I thought we met but there was actually a stipulation in there where, because my son was born early and he was in a special care nursery, he had a different out-of-pocket. We hit my out-of-pocket but then the extra care was under my son so we had to reach an additional $6,000 out-of-pocket.
The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act was introduced May 21st and has not yet started moving through committees.
The bill proposes that childbirth-related costs become essential health benefits, eliminating insurance cost-sharing. It is cosponsored by Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Tim Kaine, and Josh Hawley.
Gillibrand acknowledged the potential impact on insurance premiums, estimating a minor increase of $30 a year. Saxby said if this is true, it would be a phenomenal change for families everywhere.
The bill has garnered support from various medical and pro-family organizations, including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the March of Dimes.
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