PRINTER'S NO. 3765
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2631
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, GREEN, SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS,
PROBST, SANCHEZ, FREEMAN AND DONAHUE, OCTOBER 11, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, OCTOBER 11, 2024
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Maternal Health
3 Monitoring Pilot Program.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
7 Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
8 CHAPTER 54A
9 MATERNAL HEALTH MONITORING PILOT PROGRAM
10 Sec.
11 54A01. Definitions.
12 54A02. Establishment of pilot program.
13 54A03. Administration of pilot program.
14 54A04. Remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and
15 maternal diabetes requirements.
16 54A05. Remote fetal non-stress tests to eligible participants
17 requirement.
18 54A06. Eligible counties.
 1 54A07. Fee payment for administration of pilot program.
2 54A08. Operation of pilot program.
3 54A09. Report.
4 54A10. Expiration of authority.
5 § 54A01. Definitions.
6 The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
7 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
8 context clearly indicates otherwise:
9 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
10 "Eligible participant." A patient who meets all of the
11 following criteria:
12 (1) The patient is a recipient of medical assistance.
13 (2) The patient is a member of the participating managed
14 care organization.
15 (3) The patient is pregnant.
16 "Health care provider." An obstetrician or maternal fetal
17 medicine physician who meets all of the following criteria:
18 (1) The obstetrician or maternal fetal medicine
19 physician is licensed in this Commonwealth.
20 (2) The obstetrician or maternal fetal medicine
21 physician is in-network of the participating managed care
22 organization.
23 (3) The obstetrician or maternal fetal medicine
24 physician is caring for an eligible participant during
25 pregnancy.
26 "Maternity care desert." An area that does not have any of
27 the following:
28 (1) A hospital providing obstetric care.
29 (2) A birth center.
30 (3) An obstetrician gynecologist.
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 1 (4) A certified nurse midwife.
2 "Participating managed care organization." The managed care
3 organization selected by the department under section 54A03
4 (relating to administration of pilot program).
5 "Pilot program." The Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot
6 Program established under section 54A02 (relating to
7 establishment of pilot program).
8 "Remote fetal non-stress tests." Technology provided by the
9 selected vendor that meets all of the following criteria:
10 (1) The technology collects health data from an eligible
11 participant and electronically transmits that information
12 securely to the eligible participant's health care provider
13 in a different location for interpretation and
14 recommendation.
15 (2) The technology uses a device that meets all of the
16 following criteria:
17 (i) The device is compliant with 42 U.S.C. Ch. 7
18 Subch. XI Pt. C (relating to administrative
19 simplification).
20 (ii) The device is authorized by the United States
21 Food and Drug Administration.
22 (iii) The device measures fetal heart rate, maternal
23 heart rate and uterine activity.
24 (iv) The device conducts antepartum fetal
25 surveillance.
26 (v) The device can be used at home via self-
27 administration from at least 32 weeks gestational age.
28 (3) The technology is capable of transmitting health
29 data through cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
30 "Remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and
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 1 maternal diabetes." Technology provided by the selected vendor
2 that meets all of the following criteria:
3 (1) The technology collects health data from an eligible
4 participant and electronically transmits that information
5 securely to the eligible participant's health care provider
6 in a different location for interpretation and
7 recommendation.
8 (2) The technology uses a device that meets all of the
9 following criteria:
10 (i) The device is compliant with 42 U.S.C. Ch. 7
11 Subch. XI Pt. C.
12 (ii) The device is authorized by the United States
13 Food and Drug Administration.
14 (3) The technology monitors health data, including blood
15 pressure, weight, blood glucose levels or other physiologic
16 health data as determined by the eligible participant's
17 health care provider.
18 (4) The technology is capable of transmitting health
19 data through cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
20 "Selected vendor." The technology company contracted by the
21 participating managed care organization under section 54A03.
22 § 54A02. Establishment of pilot program.
23 For fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, the Maternal Health
24 Monitoring Pilot Program is established within the department to
25 offer eligible participants improved maternal health care
26 through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and
27 maternal diabetes and remote fetal non-stress tests.
28 § 54A03. Administration of pilot program.
29 The department shall select a managed care organization to
30 administer the pilot program in a manner determined by the
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 1 department. For the purpose of administering the program, the
2 participating managed care organization shall contract directly
3 with a selected vendor to offer remote patient monitoring for
4 maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes and remote fetal
5 non-stress tests to eligible participants.
6 § 54A04. Remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension
7 and maternal diabetes requirements.
8 The selected vendor shall meet the following requirements
9 when offering remote patient monitoring for maternal
10 hypertension and maternal diabetes to an eligible participant
11 under the pilot program:
12 (1) Ensure that remote patient monitoring for maternal
13 hypertension and maternal diabetes is possible for up to
14 three months postpartum.
15 (2) Ensure that remote patient monitoring devices are
16 delivered to the eligible participant.
17 (3) Ensure that the eligible participant has a process
18 to be trained on how to use the remote patient monitoring
19 devices.
20 (4) Ensure that a health care provider or nurse is
21 capable of the following:
22 (i) Supporting the eligible participant's health
23 care provider in monitoring and reviewing health data.
24 (ii) Creating an escalation pathway with an eligible
25 participant's health care provider if the eligible
26 participant's remote patient monitoring readings, in
27 conjunction with the eligible participant's symptoms,
28 require immediate attention from the eligible
29 participant's health care provider as determined by
30 clinical practice guidelines.
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 1 § 54A05. Remote fetal non-stress tests to eligible participants
2 requirement.
3 The selected vendor shall meet the following requirements
4 when offering remote fetal non-stress tests to eligible
5 participants:
6 (1) Ensure that a remote fetal non-stress test device is
7 delivered to the eligible participant after the eligible
8 participant's health care provider prescribes a remote fetal
9 non-stress test device for the eligible participant.
10 (2) Ensure that the eligible participant has a process
11 to be trained on how to use the remote fetal non-stress test
12 device.
13 (3) Ensure that a health care provider is capable of the
14 following:
15 (i) Supporting the eligible participant's health
16 care provider in monitoring and reviewing remote non-
17 stress test traces.
18 (ii) Creating an escalation pathway with the
19 eligible participant's health care provider if the
20 eligible participant's remote fetal non-stress test trace
21 readings, in conjunction with the eligible participant's
22 symptoms, require immediate attention from the eligible
23 participant's health care provider as determined by
24 clinical practice guidelines.
25 § 54A06. Eligible counties.
26 The department shall implement the pilot program in each
27 county where the greatest number of eligible participants who
28 struggle to access prenatal care are located. The following
29 shall apply:
30 (1) The department shall implement the pilot program in
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 1 at least one county with a maternity care desert.
2 (2) The department shall implement the pilot program in
3 at least one county with a population of no less than
4 1,000,000 residents.
5 (3) The participating managed care organization shall
6 ensure that eligible participants in the counties selected by
7 the department under this section have access to the pilot
8 program.
9 § 54A07. Fee payment for administration of pilot program.
10 (a) Fee payment.--The department shall pay a fee to the
11 participating managed care organization to administer the pilot
12 program.
13 (b) Use of fee.--The participating managed care organization
14 shall use the fee payment under subsection (a) to cover the
15 costs of the following:
16 (1) Contracting with the selected vendor under section
17 54A03 (relating to administration of pilot program),
18 including the costs of remote patient monitoring devices and
19 remote fetal non-stress test devices.
20 (2) Paying health care providers for eligible Current
21 Procedural Technology (CPT) codes for remote patient
22 monitoring and fetal non-stress tests.
23 (3) Administering the pilot program.
24 § 54A08. Operation of pilot program.
25 The department shall ensure that the pilot program has no
26 less than 500 eligible participants. The pilot program shall be
27 operational no later than 180 days of the contract date between
28 the participating managed care organization and the selected
29 vendor under section 54A03 (relating to administration of pilot
30 program).
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 1 § 54A09. Report.
2 No later than July 1, 2027, the department shall develop a
3 report on the implementation of the pilot program, including
4 recommendations regarding whether the pilot program should be
5 expanded throughout this Commonwealth. The department shall
6 submit the report to all of the following:
7 (1) The Governor.
8 (2) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
9 (3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
10 (4) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
11 Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
12 (5) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
13 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
14 (6) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
15 Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate.
16 (7) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
17 Health Committee of the House of Representatives.
18 (8) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
19 Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives.
20 § 54A10. Expiration of authority.
21 The department's authority to implement the pilot program
22 shall expire July 1, 2027.
23 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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