The bipartisan Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act, which is co-led by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), would improve Medicaid coverage for pelvic physical therapy and raise awareness of this postpartum treatment. The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act would: Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance on coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for postpartum pelvic physical therapy; Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on pelvic health programs and gaps in coverage for postpartum women; Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a campaign to educate and train health professionals on the benefits of pelvic physical therapy, as well as educate postpartum women on the importance of pelvic physical therapy and how to receive these services.
Improve Medicaid and CHIP access to postpartum pelvic physical therapy by requiring CMS coverage guidance, a GAO coverage-gap study, and an HHS education campaign for providers and postpartum women.
Occurrences
Evidence
Sen. Blunt Rochester's official sponsored-legislation page lists S.4480, the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2026, with latest action showing referral to the Senate Finance Committee rather than enactment.
The release says Blunt Rochester introduced the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act with Sen. Dan Sullivan and describes provisions for CMS Medicaid/CHIP guidance, a GAO coverage-gap study, and HHS education for providers and postpartum women.
Congress.gov lists the House companion as introduced and referred to House Energy and Commerce; its tracker status is Introduced, not passed or enacted.
The bill text would require HHS/CMS Medicaid and CHIP guidance for pelvic health services, a GAO study on coverage gaps, and a CDC/HRSA education program for professionals and postpartum women.
Congress.gov shows Blunt Rochester as an original cosponsor of the 2023 version; the bill was referred to committee and remained at the Introduced stage.
Congress.gov lists H.R.4074 as introduced on June 23, 2025, referred to House Energy and Commerce, with tracker status only Introduced; the displayed path still includes Passed House, Passed Senate, To President, and Became Law as uncompleted later steps.
Congress.gov's latest summary says the bill would require CMS guidance for Medicaid and CHIP coverage of prenatal and postpartum pelvic health services, a GAO study of Medicaid coverage gaps, and CDC education for health professionals and postpartum women.
The introduced text conditions the CMS guidance and GAO study on enactment, using deadlines measured from the date of enactment, and separately proposes a postpartum pelvic health education campaign through CDC and HRSA.
GovInfo lists H.R.4074 as Introduced in House, with last action date June 23, 2025, and action stating that the bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Medicaid.gov explains CMS issues Medicaid and CHIP policy guidance; in the newest-first results visible during the lookback, the June 11, 2026 item concerns Section 1115 budget neutrality and the June 1, 2026 item concerns Medicaid community engagement, with no visible postpartum or pelvic-health guidance match.
Blunt Rochester's official homepage latest-news area in the lookback window shows June 25 and June 24, 2026 items on USDA food-security survey legislation, affordability/veterans questioning, and a Netflix feature, not a postpartum pelvic health enactment or agency implementation announcement.
Assessments
The evidence shows Blunt Rochester introduced or supported legislation that closely matches the promised CMS Medicaid/CHIP guidance, GAO coverage-gap study, and HHS/CDC/HRSA education campaign, but the relevant bills remained introduced or referred to committee and were not enacted. No separate CMS/HHS implementation evidence shows the promised guidance, study, or education campaign was completed. This qualifies as a serious same-term legislative effort, but the promised outcome was not delivered.
Blunt Rochester materially advanced the promised policy by introducing the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act, which closely matches the promised CMS Medicaid/CHIP guidance, GAO coverage-gap study, and HHS/provider-patient education campaign. However, the cited legislative status shows referral/introduced status rather than enactment, and there is no evidence that CMS, GAO, or HHS implemented the required actions independently. This is a serious same-term legislative attempt, but the promised outcome was not delivered.