Rep. Williams introduces bill in U.S. House to require insurance coverage for blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum individuals

The new bill authored by U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams in the U.S. House aims to improve access to blood pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum individuals through insurance coverage, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.8716 was introduced on May 7, 2026 during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill requires coverage for self-measured blood pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum individuals under Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), private health insurance plans, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The legislation specifies that a blood pressure management device furnished during pregnancy, or within 12 months postpartum, must be covered without cost sharing and does not require a diagnosis of hypertensive disorders. Coverage is limited to one device per individual every two years. Amendments to relevant sections of the Social Security Act, Public Health Service Act, and other laws ensure that these provisions take effect 120 days after enactment.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Nikema Williams (Democrat-GA-5th District) and co-sponsored by Rep. Joyce Beatty (Democrat-GA-3rd District), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat-GA), and Rep. Deborah K. Ross (Democrat-GA-2nd District), along with one other sponsor.

Since the beginning of the current session, Rep. Williams has introduced another 33 bills.

Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for revenue-related measures, which must begin in the House. After introduction, bills are assigned to committees for review, hearings, amendments and debate before they can advance to a vote in each chamber. If both chambers approve identical versions, the legislation is sent to the president, who may sign it into law or veto it. Congress operates in two-year terms, with each term numbered sequentially and divided into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official bill records are maintained by the U.S. Congress and published through Congress.gov.

Nikema Williams is a Representative from Georgia. She served in the Georgia state senate from 2017 to 2021 and has been a member of Congress since January 3, 2021, having been elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Seventeenth and to the two succeeding Congresses.

Williams graduated with a B.A. from Talladega College in 2000. She has held leadership roles in the Democratic Party of Georgia, including vice-chair from 2011 to 2013, acting chair in 2013, and chair from 2019 to 2025, and has been a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Congress. The source data can be found here.