We are in awe of America’s mothers. Every day, a mother gives her heart unreservedly to her family. She leads her children and family with love.
But the American family is threatened. We all feel it. Everyday costs are skyrocketing. Marriage, and especially family, increasingly seem like luxuries. Many feel as though they cannot afford to have a child, particularly when the costs of pregnancy, birth, and post-natal care are exorbitantly expensive. The average cost of childbirth in the United States is nearly $19,000, and even privately insured mothers will likely pay more than $3,000 out-of-pocket simply for delivery.
Today, the path to the American Dream is full of new and unique hurdles, making it difficult for too many to reach. Too many couples feel they cannot start or grow their families because of our disordered politics and warped economy. The existing model that erects barriers to family formation and imposes dizzying costs for childbirth is both unworkable and untenable.
Now is the time to make it obsolete. To change the future, we need a new model, a better paradigm. Cost should be the last thing on the mind of new parents as they celebrate the arrival of the child.
Birth in the United States of America should be free.
America has faced similar challenges before and risen to the challenge. There is precedent for Make Birth Free, and it has worked effectively for almost 50 years. Launched during the Nixon administration, the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program covers the cost of dialysis and kidney transplants for patients of all ages, even those who would not typically qualify for Medicare benefits. There are other precedents, more recent and even more generous. A new approach, crafted with these precedents in mind, could Make Birth Free for every American mother.
Americans United for Life joins Democrats for Life of America to offer a vision for Congress to empower American mothers, families, and communities through a groundbreaking and perhaps even bipartisan plan to make birth free to American mothers.
Legislative Action
The “Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act” is the most recent federal legislation to ease the out-of-pocket costs for families to have a child, receiving bipartisan support. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced this bill in the Senate in May 2025. Representative Jared Golden (D-ME) introduced a version of this bill in the House of Representatives in June 2025.
The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act
The Act aims to ensure that families incur zero out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal, and post-partum healthcare. Alleviating these costs provides a more supportive financial environment for parents, making it easier for couples to have the children that they want.
Eliminating the financial burdens associated with childbirth represents a pivotal opportunity for our society to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to the importance of every human life. By investing in the well-being of expectant mothers, we are not only affirming the inherent dignity of every person but also investing in the future of our nation and the world. When American families are thriving, America is thriving.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Make Birth Free?
The average cost of childbirth is around $19,000, not including possible complications or extended stays for mother or baby. While many are already covered completely by Medicaid, this legislation seeks to fill the gap for those who do not qualify for complete coverage by public or private insurance providers. Financial barriers should not stand in the way of couples who want to grow their families.
How will the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act affect insurance premiums?
For the minor premium increase of $30 annually, new families can start with a focus on the joys of parenthood and not the stresses of healthcare debt.
What other organizations are supporting the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act?
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Catholic Health Association, March of Dimes, American Principles Project, Concerned Women for America, and the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology.
Making Birth Free in the News
