Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Military Moms Act to support maternal healthcare quality and access for mothers serving in the military and dependents of service members by allowing pregnancy to be classified as a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) to allow service members or their spouses to change their TRICARE plans.
“As a mom and the Representative for Fort Drum, I am proud to introduce the Military Moms Act to support and expand access to healthcare for our pregnant service members or their spouses as they grow their families,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “Our military families serve our nation selflessly and it is our duty to take care of them, their children, and their families, so that they can focus on safeguarding our nation.”
“Our service members and their families dedicate their lives to our country. Raising a family while serving in the military frequently poses additional difficulties, particularly for expectant mothers. My Military Moms Act would address these challenges and ensure that pregnant women in our military are better served under TRICARE," said Senator Marco Rubio.
Specifically, the Military Moms Act would:
- Direct DoD to classify pregnancy and loss of pregnancy as qualifying life events (QLEs) under TRICARE to allow mothers to change their TRICARE plan, selecting the one that serves their maternal care best.
- Provide Congress with a comprehensive study on access to maternal healthcare within the Military Health System (MHS). This provision mirrors the Improving Access to Maternal Health for Military and Dependent Moms Act.
- Publish a dedicated webpage of maternal and infant health resources, as well as, information for new mothers and families on the DoD-run Military One Source website.
In February 2024, Congresswoman Stefanik and Senator Marco Rubio introduced the Improving Access to Maternal Health for Military and Dependent Moms Act to ensure service members and their spouses are able to receive proper and sufficient maternity services.
This legislation is endorsed by SBA Pro Life America and Americans United for Life.
