Bill · H.R. 7912· House(119-HR-7912)
Neonatal Care Transparency Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 3/12/2026
- Last activity
- 3/12/2026 — Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Ryan Mackenzie
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Neonatal Care Transparency Act of 2026 requires hospitals and obstetric practitioners to disclose their policies on providing life-saving care to premature infants. This includes stating if there is a minimum gestational age for care, if decisions are made case-by-case, and how transfers to other facilities are handled. Practitioners must provide this information to patients during their first prenatal visit. Hospitals that do not comply may lose federal Medicaid and CHIP funding.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would children be better off under this?+7
Increases the likelihood that premature infants receive life-saving care through better facility matching.
Would women be better off under this?+6
Empowers expectant mothers with critical transparency regarding neonatal care options.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+5
Provides parents with essential information to make informed medical decisions during pregnancy.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-3
Imposes federal transparency requirements on state-level healthcare providers.
Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes?-2
Creates a mechanism to withhold Medicaid funding from non-compliant providers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency for Parents: Section 2(5) states that parents deserve transparency to ensure medical excellence and parental consent regarding treatment for extreme prematurity.
-
Access to Specialized Care: Section 3(a)(3) and 3(b)(3) require hospitals and practitioners to disclose the process for transferring a mother and infant to the nearest facility that can provide life-saving care if the current hospital lacks the capacity.
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Informed Healthcare Choices: Section 3(b) requires obstetricians to disclose hospital policies during the first prenatal visit, allowing patients to know the care standards of facilities where their practitioner has admitting privileges.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Loss of Healthcare Funding: Section 5 prohibits federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for hospitals and obstetric providers that do not satisfy the disclosure requirements. This could impact the financial stability of providers serving eligible populations.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+7Good For Women+6Good For High Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For Low Income Households+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+4Increases Medicaid Funding-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3Increase States Rights-3
- 3/12/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.