{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-introduces-bipartisan-bill-give-expecting-parents-choice-over-child", "Davids Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Give Expecting Parents Choice Over Child Health Care Insurance", "2025-06-11", "2025", "2025-06", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Representative Sharice Davids reintroduced her Empowering Parents\u2019 Healthcare Choices Act, a bipartisan bill designed to cut insurer red tape, avoid surprise medical bills, and give parents decision-making power over their infant\u2019s health care \u2014 not the insurance company. She was joined by Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO-08).\n\nCurrently, many expecting parents with separate health insurance policies are subject to an obscure and often undisclosed rule known as \u201cthe birthday rule,\u201d which determines the insurance policy that will cover a new baby \u2014 regardless of what the parents want. Insurance companies often do not inform parents of this policy, which can result in surprise medical bills for growing families.\n\nThat\u2019s what happened to the Kjelshus family of Olathe, KS, when they welcomed their daughter Charlie into the world \u2014 leaving them with a $270,951 out-of-network hospital bill even though they had planned for Charlie\u2019s birth based on the coverage they expected to use.\n\n\u201cEvery parent should be able to focus on the health of their newborn \u2014 not on navigating fine print or fighting surprise bills,\u201d said Davids. \u201cThis bipartisan bill puts families first by giving them the power to choose the best health care coverage for their child. I'm proud to work across the aisle with Congressman Evans to cut red tape and protect new parents from being blindsided during one of the most important moments of their lives.\u201d\n\nThe Empowering Parents\u2019 Healthcare Choices Act would give parents 60 days after the birth of their child to choose which insurance policy will cover their new baby. It would also give the Administration authority to instruct insurers on how and when to notify parents of their rights, helping more families avoid frustrating red tape, surprise bills, and insurance policy mazes.\n\n\u201cAs a parent of a medically complex kid who spent years in and out of hospitals receiving specialty care, I understand firsthand how critically important it is to make sure every family has a say in the best care for themselves and their child,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO-08). \u201cI\u2019m proud to co-lead the Empowering Parents' Healthcare Choices Act to ensure that new parents across the country have the freedom to choose what insurance plan works best for their family\u2019s needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cFirst Focus Campaign for Children applauds the introduction of the Empowering Parents\u2019 Healthcare Choices Act by Representatives Sharice Davids and Gabe Evans,\u201d said Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus Campaign for Children. \u201cThis legislation is a vital step toward ensuring that every child receives the health care coverage they need and deserve starting at birth. By giving parents the freedom to choose the best insurance for their newborn, we can eliminate unnecessary financial burdens and protect families from the confusion and hardship caused by outdated insurance rules. Every child should have access to comprehensive, affordable health care \u2014 and this bill helps make that a reality for more children across the United States.\u201d\n\nDavids is a fierce advocate for making health care affordable and accessible to all Kansans. She supported legislation to protect patients from out-of-network surprise medical bills, which shielded patients from millions of surprise bills since passage. This law included Davids\u2019 original legislation to improve insurer transparency, helping patients avoid unintentional out-of-network health care visits.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-introduces-bipartisan-bill-give-expecting-parents-choice-over-child"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2468311470001936, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}