House File 448 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MASCHER
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to services available to women during pregnancy
2 and postpartum.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2322HH 81
5 jp/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 135.11, Code 2005, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 19A. Develop a model plan for
1 4 institutional health facilities as defined in section 135.61,
1 5 maternal health centers, and other providers under the purview
1 6 of the department that provide services to women during
1 7 pregnancy or immediately following the birth of a child. The
1 8 model plan shall address a provider's provision of mental
1 9 health assessments and referrals to women receiving services
1 10 from the provider during pregnancy and postpartum.
1 11 Sec. 2. Section 135.106, subsection 2, paragraph d, Code
1 12 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1 13 d. Provision of systematic screening, prenatally or upon
1 14 the birth of a child, to identify high=risk families. The
1 15 screening process shall include but is not limited to
1 16 provision of mental health assessments and referrals of women
1 17 during pregnancy and postpartum.
1 18 Sec. 3. Section 255A.2, Code 2005, is amended by adding
1 19 the following new unnumbered paragraph:
1 20 NEW UNNUMBERED PARAGRAPH. The services provided under the
1 21 statewide obstetrical and newborn indigent patient care
1 22 program shall include but are not limited to mental health
1 23 assessments and treatment during pregnancy and postpartum for
1 24 the women covered by the program.
1 25 Sec. 4. Section 514C.12, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
1 26 amended to read as follows:
1 27 1. Notwithstanding section 514C.6, a person who provides
1 28 an individual or group policy of accident or health insurance
1 29 or individual or group hospital or health care service
1 30 contract issued pursuant to chapter 509, 509A, 514, or 514A or
1 31 an individual or group health maintenance organization
1 32 contract issued and regulated under chapter 514B, which is
1 33 delivered, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 1996, and
1 34 which provides maternity benefits, which are not limited to
1 35 complications of pregnancy, or newborn care benefits, shall
2 1 not terminate inpatient benefits or require discharge of a
2 2 mother or the newborn from a hospital following delivery
2 3 earlier than determined to be medically appropriate by the
2 4 attending physician after consultation with the mother and in
2 5 accordance with guidelines adopted by rule by the
2 6 commissioner. The guidelines adopted by rule shall be
2 7 consistent with or may adopt by reference the guidelines for
2 8 perinatal care established by the American academy of
2 9 pediatrics and the American college of obstetricians and
2 10 gynecologists which provide that when complications are not
2 11 present, the postpartum hospital stay ranges from a minimum of
2 12 forty=eight hours for a vaginal delivery to a minimum of
2 13 ninety=six hours for a cesarean birth, excluding the day of
2 14 delivery. The guidelines adopted by rule by the commissioner
2 15 shall also provide that in the event of a discharge from the
2 16 hospital prior to the minimum stay established in the
2 17 guidelines, a postdischarge follow=up visit shall be provided
2 18 to the mother and newborn by providers competent in postpartum
2 19 care and newborn assessment if determined medically
2 20 appropriate as directed by the attending physician, in
2 21 accordance with the guidelines. In addition, the guidelines
2 22 shall provide for coverage of mental health assessment and
2 23 treatment of women provided during pregnancy and postpartum
2 24 under the policies and contracts subject to this section that
2 25 are delivered, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2005.
2 26 EXPLANATION
2 27 This bill relates to services available to women during
2 28 pregnancy and postpartum.
2 29 Code section 135.11, relating to the duties of the Iowa
2 30 department of public health, is amended to require the
2 31 department to develop a model plan for provision of mental
2 32 health assessments and referrals to mothers during pregnancy
2 33 and postpartum. The model plan applies to institutional
2 34 health facilities, maternal health centers, and others under
2 35 the purview of the department that provide services to women
3 1 during pregnancy or immediately following the birth of a
3 2 child. Code section 135.61 defines an institutional health
3 3 facility as a hospital, health care facility, organized
3 4 outpatient health facility, surgical facility, community
3 5 mental health facility, or birth center.
3 6 Code section 135.106, relating to the healthy opportunities
3 7 for parents to experience success (HOPES) = healthy families
3 8 Iowa (HFI) program, is amended to require the program's
3 9 screening process to include provision of mental health
3 10 assessments and referrals of women during pregnancy and
3 11 postpartum.
3 12 Code section 255A.2, relating to establishment of the
3 13 statewide obstetrical and newborn indigent patient care
3 14 program administered by the department, is amended. The
3 15 amendment requires the program to include mental health
3 16 assessments and treatment provided during pregnancy and
3 17 postpartum.
3 18 Code section 514C.6, relating to individual and group
3 19 health insurance policies and contracts subject to state
3 20 regulation that provide maternity care, is amended. The
3 21 guidelines adopted by the insurance commissioner for such
3 22 policies and contracts are required to provide for coverage of
3 23 mental health assessment and treatment of women during
3 24 pregnancy and postpartum, effective for policies and contracts
3 25 delivered, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2005.
3 26 LSB 2322HH 81
3 27 jp:nh/pj/5