U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Tom Carper (D-Del.) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at improving health care for expectant mothers.
The Connected Maternal Online Monitoring Services (MOM) Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to provide coverage recommendations for remote devices to check blood pressure, blood glucose and pulse rates. It also requires CMS to update state resources, such as state Medicaid telehealth toolkits, to correspond with the recommendations provided. The goal is to improve maternal and infant outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women.
“Indiana has historically had one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country, with minority communities suffering the most. I’ve long been working to tackle this crisis and am proud to help introduce the Connected MOM Act, which aims to expand coverage for remote health monitoring devices for mothers enrolled in Medicaid,” said Senator Young. “Research indicates that roughly 60 percent of maternal deaths in the United States can be prevented through patient care, education, and timely interventions. The Connected MOM Act will help improve care and identify potential issues before they become life-threatening.”
“Mothers and babies dying at the moment of birth are preventable and far too common in Louisiana. We hope this bill to bring the latest technology preserves the health of mothers and babies to truly make what should be a happy experience, a happy experience,” said Dr. Cassidy.
