The MIDWIVES for Service Members Act directs the Department of Defense to launch a five-year pilot program offering midwife services to military families and beneficiaries covered under TRICARE, the military health insurance program. The program must begin within one year of the law's enactment, with the Secretary of Defense required to submit an implementation plan within 180 days. The pilot will track key metrics including program costs, patient outcomes (such as preterm and low-birth-weight rates), maternal and fetal health results, patient satisfaction, and access to care, with annual reports submitted to Congress throughout the program and for one year after it ends. If deemed successful, the Secretary may make midwife services permanent under TRICARE. The legislation does not specify dedicated funding amounts but directs detailed cost analysis and evaluation of potential savings from improved maternal and infant health outcomes.
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