BILL NUMBER: S6232
SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing a
prenatal and postpartum informational mobile application
 
PURPOSE:
Authorizes a prenatal and postpartum informational mobile application
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a new section of public health taw that directs the
commissioner to create and operate a New York specific, membership-based
mobile application to be made available to birthing individuals who are
eligible for Medicaid.
Section 2. The effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2000-2020 indicates that
maternal mortality rates in the United States are increasing while live
birth data has decreased. As health care government leaders work to
address the issues with these pregnancy outcomes, there have been
several states, including Michigan and Wyoming, that rely on technology
to connect with at-risk birthing individuals to provide greater access
to education and provider information and monitoring through a custom-
ized mobile application made available to Medicaid recipients. There are
a multitude of reasons that contribute to these poor maternal health
outcomes that include many women, especially in more rural areas with
the tack of access to obstetric care who may tack the awareness of heal-
thy prenatal and postpartum behaviors.
According to a report from the National Vital Statistics Reports, over
32% of all pregnant women on Medicaid do not start care until the second
trimester or later and may not be aware of necessary lifestyle changes
that should take place prior to conception as they continue to smoke, do
not take prenatal vitamins and miss routine obstetric and gynecological
visits. Additionally, "babies born to women with low health literacy had
a higher frequency of preterm birth before 34 weeks, small for gesta-
tional age status, low birth weight, and an Apgar score less than 4," as
reported by a researcher out of the Feinberg School of Medicine at
Northwestern University.
New York's women and families are faced with an ever-growing dearth in
maternity care, including the recent action to close a birthing hospital
in Troy, New York that serves many low-income individuals. These
actions make it more difficult for women to have access to critical
obstetric care. The introduction of a New York-based mobile application
for Medicaid recipients would be a positive step in aiding birthing
individuals in accessing critical prenatal and postpartum information.
As three out of five maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable accord-
ing to the CDC, increasing awareness of healthy prenatal and postpartum
behaviors will increase the probability that mothers will have healthier
pregnancies and positive birth outcomes.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
01/22/24 PASSED SENATE - S7700A of 2023-2024
01/22/24 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
01/22/24 referred to health - A8230 of 2023-2024
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Potential cost savings to be expected from the expansion of important
information to birthing individuals and a reduction in costly medical
emergencies for both birthing individuals and babies.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.