BILL NUMBER: S7110
SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing a
remote maternal health services pilot program for Medicaid recipients
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would establish a remote maternal health services pilot
program for Medicaid recipients.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a new section 365-kk of social services law to create
the remote maternal health services pilot program to authorize the
commissioner to develop and implement a program that will employ the use
of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology in monitor-
ing high risk pregnant patients. The technology includes the use of
remote non-stress test technology, remote ultrasound technology or
doppler effect technology.
Section 2 is the enacting clause.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation allows for the use of telehealth and RPM technology to
monitor pregnant women with high-risk factors like hypertension, preec-
lampsia and gestational diabetes.
The United States of America continues to have significant issues around
maternal morbidity rates that are not adequately addressed. According
to World Health Organization data, mortality rates in the United States
continue to rise, with the current mortality rate being 17.4 deaths per
100,000 live births. Black mothers are 2.5 times more likely to die from
pregnancy related complications than white women, with over 65% of these
deaths being preventable.
This bill would allow for the use of remote maternal health services for
Medicaid recipients. Remote maternal health services use ultrasound or
doppler effect technology to collect forms of health data from a patient
and electronically transmit that information securely to a healthcare
provider. It includes a device that performs remote fetal monitoring and
measures physiological data. Studies indicate that RPM in maternal care
results in fewer high-risk obstetric monitoring visits while maintaining
maternal and fetal outcomes.
Maternal care and morbidity rates continue to be a major issue in New
York and throughout the United States. This legislation would decrease
the rates of urgent maternal visits and increase the rates of full term
deliveries. Women and maternal health must be addressed with care to
lower the rates of preventable deaths and protect the health of women
and their children.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined- however potential savings will result from better
outcomes and reduced hospitalizations of high risk pregnant women.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.